Restart
by looligan
Summary: She had lived through many worlds. Naruto. Avatar. Etc. This time however, she has no idea where she had landed. Who were the main characters? Who's the villain? Dropped into the world of HxH, Sen finds herself stuck with more problems than usual. Will she ever get back home? Doesn't matter. She lost hope on that long ago. -A little twist to the old 'drop into the world' storyline.
1. Game x Over x Restart

**Chapter 1: Game x Over x Restart  
**

* * *

_I have no idea when it started._

_Or why it even began._

_I don't even remember which Story was my first anymore._

* * *

It was the dead of the night. The growing moon slowly taking her place up in the starry sky, her voluminous being glowing softly over the hidden village. The leaves rustled quietly in the cold air, the wind blowing ever so gently. It was unusually silent in this dark night. Not even the small chirps of the little crickets could be heard.

_Ah..._

Silent as the wind, a dark haired teen rushed over the rooftops of the Uchiha district. Wind rushed past her ears as she dashed quietly towards a dark forest, her footsteps barely making a clatter against the tiles. All were sleeping soundly in this chilling night, unaware of the rising rampage that was about to ensue.

_It wasn't suppose to go this way._

Landing suddenly at the edge of the forest, chocolate brown eyes glanced warily before stepping closer towards the towering trees. Wind brushed against the branches, the leaves shuddering in the night air. The girl spoke softly, her voice almost overtaken by the sudden wind.

"Itachi."

A dark shape glided out, revealing the slim figure of a young boy. He had similarly colored dark eyes and black hair, and had two lines marring the front of his face. They stood silently in the dark forest, not too far from the Uchiha residence. The stoic boy merely gave her an empty glance before staring back up to the rising moon. It was full and bright tonight.

Realizing that the young male had no interest in her, she took another step forward. "I'm telling you that there is another way, Itachi!" she cried urgently, her eyes pleading him to not engage in this horrid plan. "It doesn't have to go this route!"

The boy merely ignored her, his dead gaze focused on the bright orb above. He leaned against the trunk of an aging tree, letting out an inaudible sigh. He felt calm. At peace. No. He was kidding himself. He was empty. The wind blew once more, blowing his dark bangs in front of his eyes. The girl before him grew tense, her mouth opening and closing. As if unsure about what to say to him.

Suddenly she took a firm stance, her eyes staring hard at the boy a few years her minor. "...What would Sasuke think?" she whispered weakly, her dark brown eyes betraying her desperation.

At that the young boy's brow twitched, before quickly dismissing the comment and gave a small sigh. Nothing could be done at this point. Not when so many irreversible things have happened. Things that had happened before they were even born. His onyx eyes looked up, fixated on the moon. It grew brighter and brighter as it slowly rose up higher into the sky.

The girl started trembling, her eyes started to well up in tears from frustration before she exploded. "D'you really think this is the best plan?! That this is the only way!? That this's the best way!? This won't help Sasuke at all! How would he live on? D'you think Danzo will just quietly step aside just 'cause he's young? I don't think even Shis-!"

"Enough!" he barked, cutting her off her desperate rant. His voice was as cold as the night air.

The girl gave a small jump, but her eyes only burned brighter. Her fist clenched tighter as hope grew in her heart. _He finally responded!_

Itachi frowned, realizing his mistake. The older girl had tried to convince him many times before, to drop this insane plan ever since _he_ died. The girl was his friend, his cousin. Practically a sister. She had always found ways to cheer him up. Always had his best interest in mind. Always looking out for him. Always helping out with his beloved little brother. Sasuke.

Itachi's dark eyes hardened. He pushed himself away from the tree. She was pitifully delaying the inevitable.

They both knew it.

"Shisui would have accepted this," he stated softly, sadness swirling into his dark eyes. He grasped his blade, slowly pulling it out. The smooth metal shined brightly against the moonlight as a sudden gust tossed their hair wildly into the air.

Her breath hitched, the fire in her eyes becoming dimmer and dimmer as the hard anger was slowly replaced with a soft sadness. They stared at each other, a silent understanding forming between them. She let out a sigh, noticing the dark red blooming over his coal black iris.

Itachi stared back at her, his eyes once more showing no emotion as he lifted his tantō. Tears welled up in the girl's eyes at the thought of the recently deceased Uchiha.

"You're right about that at least..."

She put up no resistance as she felt the cold metal pierce through her flesh. Red splattered against the ground as she felt something warm choke up to the back of her throat. The girl chuckled inwardly at the familiar iron taste. _As fast as ever, Itachi-chan. _She accepted this. Accepted his determination. She didn't want to go up against the boy she thought of as a friend. As a brother. Shakily, she lifted up her arm, tenderly touching the soft skin of her murderer's cheek.

"I'll be the first to go then," she smiled, gazing into his empty red eyes as everything faded to black.

* * *

**Game Over.**

* * *

_._

_For a long time, I've been forced to live through countless Stories._

_It was like a game. A torturous, game that fooled with my mind and my soul._

_I don't get to choose the Story._

_I don't get to choose my character._

_I don't have control over anything._

_I can't even Exit out of this accursed game._

_._

* * *

**Restart.**

* * *

A scrawny young girl gazed up at the night sky, staring dumbly at the silent stars. She laid atop a small hill, a dark forest encircling her as wildlife hummed in the distance. A loud sigh escaped her lips. _It happened again_, Sen thought quietly, raising a hand over her face. The shimmer of the twinkling above doing little to calm her nerves. She had died and Restarted again into the body of a small child.

She suddenly slammed her fist on the ground, yelling into the empty air. "GRAAH! STUPID ITACHI!"

Tears started to well up in her new eyes, threatening to fall as the lights above became a blurry mess. She couldn't save him. She couldn't save anyone. All she did was fall victim to Danzo's plan. Sen rolled over, curling up tightly as she quietly cried over her new loss.

At first it surprised her, at her ability to die. She found out long ago that she had the chance of changing the events of a Story, but it came with the downside of her being capable for death. The girl sniffed, rubbing away her tears. Death didn't matter to her. She had accepted such a fate long ago, ready to go home. Even accepted the after life. However when she once again blinked open her eyes, she found that she was still alive. In another world. Another Story. This cycle happened over and over. Seemingly endlessly.

Should she be happy about this?

_..._

Even after all this while, she wasn't sure what her answer to it was.

The girl gave out a drawn out sigh, raking her hands through her stiff black hair, trying to push past events to the past. _What Story am I in now? _

Her eyes grew weary as she gazed up to the sky above her. The stars doing nothing but dotting up the dark blanket of the night sky. Moments ago she was just witnessing the beginnings of the Uchiha Massacre. Even with all her former knowledge, she still wasn't able to stop it. Because she didn't read far enough to know more about it.

She suddenly gave a low, sarcastic chuckle. At least Itachi has graced her to be his first kill.

Jumping up, the dark haired girl slowly stretched her new muscles, trying to ignore the events that had just happened a few seconds ago. She had to focus on where she was at now. Her life was over in the _Naruto_ world. Thinking more about it will just break her heart.

..._I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to the blonde brat._

"Gah, just forget. Forget about it!" She squeezed her eyes closed as she rubbed the sides of her head. "Focus on the Story I'm in now. Focus..."

Taking a deep breath, her dark eyes glanced down, steadily looking over her new body. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she bent over. Sen absentmindedly noted its black color as she inspected her physique. Her legs were spindly and pale, and had arms that were wiry and thin. Hopping up and down, she guessed her age to be about ten years old.

"Che, why am I in this?" she muttered, an embarrassed flush dusting her cheeks as she looked down at her attire. She was dressed in dark shorts, a dark shirt, and dark boots. Like a little night ranger. She bit the inside of her cheek, desperately hoping that she wasn't in another _magical girl_ Story. The dark clothing contrasted starkly against her pale skin, making her look even skinnier and younger. _Tsk._

"Whatever," she grunted.

Slowly she closed her weary eyes, her soul drained from her encounter with Itachi. Letting out a small sigh, Sen plopped back down onto the ground, planning on dealing with it all in the morn-

**_FWOOM!_**

Her eyes popped open at the booming sound. _Wha-?_ She let out a yelp of surprise as she felt her body sinking deep into the earth. The girl gritted her teeth as bits of dirt and pebbles fell into her hair. Scrambling back up, she turned back to see an imprint of herself about half a foot deep into the ground. Her heart raced slightly at the sight. It was a near perfect imprint, framing her thin arms and legs and skinny body.

The girl put an arm on her shoulders, slowly rolling it back and forth but finding no hint of pain. Was the ground just really soft? Or perhaps her new body was really heavy? Really sturdy?

"Wait."

She squinted her eyes in concentration, the imprint on the ground feeling very familiar. A terrible itch suddenly raged in the back of her head at the sight. _Have I seen this before?_

Sen place a hand in the middle of her imprint, feeling the dirt below her fingertips. It was dry and hard. She pushed, feeling the normal resistance. The ground was firm and solid as it should be. Unsatisfied, her fingers slowly traced the outline, before stopping quickly as a sudden thought overtook her eyes shot open as her throat closed up. She felt the small heart within her beat rapidly against her chest. _It can't be..._

Numerous thoughts coursed through her mind, as she stared blankly at the ground below her. Beneath the glow of the crescent moon, her dark imprint shone brightly against the grassy floor. Its form haunted the small girl, for it brought up memories she had long pushed down. The small girl brought her arms close, hugging her tiny form as she began to tremble. Her dark hair tangled onto her face as the wind blew away the clouds. Something sparked brightly in the corner of her eyes.

Turning her head, her dark eyes spied a small pebble a few feet away from her. Its lone, shiny form reaching out to her, daring her to do what she know she shouldn't do. What she shouldn't be able to do. She shook her head vigorously, "I don't want to."

A warm gush of air blew harsher, blowing her long hair out of her face. The girl shivered, despite its warmth.

"I don't want to," she repeated, her voice becoming soft whisper. Nervously, Sen looked back to the pebble. The small rock gleamed in the moonlight, calling out to her.

_Do it. You know you can._

With a trembling breath, she reluctantly lifted a hand toward the rock, and flicked her fingers toward the sky.

The pebble started floating a few inches in the air.

"Gshk-!"

A strangled gasped escaped her throat, her onyx eyes widening at the sight. Her hand immediately loosened, losing control of the little pebble in front of her. She watched dumbly as the small rock tumbled back down on the soft grass, barely ruffling the green plants.

Sen stared at it for a while, refusing to accept what she just saw. What she had just done.

The pebble sat innocently before her in the moonlight.

She took a deep breath.

"That was...earthbending, wasn't it?" she asked quietly to herself, unwilling to admit to it.

**_BA-DUM._**

Her heart started pounding.

_Am I back in _Avatar_?_

Her hands quickly grasped the sides of her head, rubbing furiously as her dark tresses became entangled with one another. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head.

Impossible.

Not once.

Not once had she ever returned to a Story she had already lived through.

Sen closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath. Slowly, she released the grip on the sides of her head and pulled, only to find her hands tugging on the black strands. Her slims fingers were tangled with her hair. Sighing, the girl slumped to the ground. Did she really Restart back into the world of _Avatar_?

She peeked open her eyes and glanced at the tiny pebble. It gleamed in the moonlight, sending chills down her spine.

"GRAHH!"

She fwipped her arms in anger, unintentionally sending the small pebble flying off to the distance. It sailed far across the air, flipping through the trees, landing in an unknown distance. Sen sat there dumbly, strands of her dark hair twisted between her fingers.

"Gyaahh! Why did it have to fly!?" she cried, bewildered at her ability to throw a stone without touching it. Sen rubbed furiously at the sides of her head, once again tangling her long hair. She huffed. Suddenly, the pale skinned girl stood up determinedly and stood solidly, feet apart. She had to confirm. It could all have just been chance.

She lifted a palm, and pushed. Her heart fell as she saw the earth moving along with her.

"No..."

Moving through some old stances she learned long ago, her dark eyes stared dazedly. There was nothing left to deny. Nothing but to accept.

The earth before her rose and fell to her will with every motion. It twisted and twirled, power and strength softly inlaid within the rocks. Her heart tinged at the familiar movements, but quickly shook her head. Suddenly, she stopped her arms, the earth falling back down with a solid thunk and became still once more. The girl refused for her emotions to swell up. Her dark eyes glanced back at the upturned ground.

She really was earthbending.

Sen struggled to breathe, clenching tightly at her black shirt. It wasn't possible. There was no way she was back in _Avatar_. Moments passed as the shadows of the earth grew longer and longer. There was no way denying its existence.

The dark haired girl stood there, absentmindedly smoothing the ground under her. Dark hair fell over her eyes as she lowered her head in resignation.

She had Restarted, her abilities should have been reset back to zero. Turning her back to a normal, everyday child. It was the standard. It was what always happened. It was the Rule.

"Then why...why am I able to earthbend?" she choked out, her eyes starting to tear up once more as old memories rose to the front of her mind. _Toph..._

She shook her head again, the floor below smooth once more. The air around her started moving, sliding its warm touch over her small frame, embracing her. She sniffed. Never mind the fact that she can earthbend again, the last Story she was in was _Naruto_. If anything, shouldn't she be molding chakra instead of bending the earth?

A dark spark suddenly sprang to the back of her mind.

With a hard swallow, her hands slowly formed the ram seal and tensed, uncertain about what will happen.

There was nothing.

She was about to let out a relieved sigh when she suddenly began to feel the familiar hum of energy coursing through her veins. She let out a gasp, releasing control of the sudden flow of energy.

_Just what is going on?_

* * *

.

Off in the distance, where a gloomy castle stood atop a tall mountain, an aging man in his late thirties suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine.

His black eyes glanced out to the window, his glasses shining against the moonlight.

_Someone has trespassed onto Zoldyck property._

_._

* * *

The evening grew colder as the night grew longer. Sen didn't know how long she knelt there on that grassy hill with the stars twinkling down at her. It felt like hours as her mind tumbled back and forth with questions upon questions. Why can she earthbend again? Why can she feel chakra? Why didn't she Restart back to zero?

Her dark eyes swerved up to the waning moon.

Just what else could she do?

The moon looked down at her, glowing brightly against the dark sky. It overpowered the speckled stars, despite its slimmer size. Sen growled. It did nothing to help calm the turmoil brewing inside of her.

Clenching her fists, Sen glared hard at the moon, its crescent smile baring down at her like a mocking laugh. She scoffed, "I can just hide all this and everything will be back to normal, y'know!"

The moon merely continued shining its eerie glow.

Irritated, Sen was about to retort back when she heard the soft rustle of footsteps walking toward her. Her eyes widened.

A man with a grim face stared down before her. He had come-back black hair and sharp eyes framed with pointed glasses. His dark suit was neat and clean, and his shoes shined like no other. He looked composed as the girl below him began shaking with fright. Her eyes were wide and open in confusion, her mouth agape.

Just-

_Just who was this?! _

Sen never had trouble identifying characters of a Story before. Even when they were minor characters, or were simply just a bystander.

"For trespassing upon Zoldyck property," a grave voice started. The man looked down at her, his eyes were emotionless, yet deadly.

The girl just knelt there, staring up openly at the tall man, confused and bewildered to the point of stupor.

"Your life is forfeit."

With that, the tall man swung down his fist.

* * *

~o~o~o~

* * *

**A/N:** Yo! I found that I really wanted to write a story where a normal girl drops into the world of HxH for some reason. But I wanted to give the story a twist to it, give the overused storyline something new and refreshing to read. So I decided that the girl that had dropped into the world of HunterxHunter...has already lived through many worlds like _Naruto_, _Avatar_, etc.~!

Ah, her ability to earthbend and utilize chakra is for the plot. Don't worry too much about it~

Some vocab that may or may not help your reading experience:

**Story:** By this, the little night ranger had meant the multiple universes she had lived through. Like Naruto, Avatar, and many others that you might see. -Don't worry, those other worlds won't be delved into much as I'll try to keep focus on the HxH world.

**Game Over:** Just like in a game where you only have one life, when you die, it's game over. The little MC has witnessed many Game Overs. Hehehe~

**Restart:** The awakening after each Game Over. She usually awakens in the body of a small child.

**Exit:** Basically meaning to escape the game and go back home.

**Rules:** To put it simply, it means following the laws of that Story. Like not being able to firebend in the _Naruto_ world, or being incapable of using a wizard's wand in the world of _Inuyasha_. To comply with this Rule, Sen's Restart body always reverts to a normal child, removing past abilities and strengths.

Why does the MC relate it all to gaming terms~? In the next chapter I may answer that question.


	2. Pain x and the x Earth

**Chapter 2: Pain x ****and the x Earth**  


* * *

Gotoh was a strict man. He was the most trusted butler of the Zoldyck family. His sharp suit and clean white gloves showed how competent he was at his profession. His grim face showed how seriously he took his job.

The Zoldycks were an infamous family of assassins. They make their home up high on Kukuroo Mountain, a silent, dormant volcano covered by devilish trees. Tall, thick fences enclosed the area. A heavy metal gate provided the only entrance to the estate. Monstrous guard dogs and other heinous animals dwell within the looming forest, feasting on any one person who dares come close.

Not only that, but the property is well managed by the multiple butlers who serve the Zoldycks. A simple apprentice butler was all that was needed to eradicate a small opposing army.

After all, this murderous family should be served by those as adept at killing as well.

Pointed glasses gleamed against the moonlight as the grim butler swiped another fist at the intruder, missing her by just a few inches. As of the moment, someone had trespassed unto the property that belonged to that of the Zoldycks.

How they had reached so far in wasn't the matter.

"Wa-wait! This is all just an accide-_gack_!" Gotoh frowned as blood spurted on his clothes, finally landing a hit straight onto her midsection.

What did matter, was eliminating this possible threat to the Zoldyck household. Even when the intruder appeared to only be a skinny little girl. Gotoh swung his fist once more, sending the dark haired girl flying into the air.

The fact that she was even able to evade his first swing was proof enough that she was not a normal child. He watched impassively as her little body crashed back down onto the ground with a sickening thud. Sen coughed harshly, cringing at the pulsing pain on her stomach as blood trickled down the side of her mouth. _Not good..._

"Hm, you seem to still be alive," Gotoh muttered, slowly walking to the fallen girl.

Sen twitched, feeling confused as fear creeped into her mind. Was she scared of dying again? No. He was talking. Conversationally. This was her chance.

Biting down her lip, she willed herself to stand up and stared hard at the man, "He-hey, just lis-_gck_!"

Gotoh rammed his foot into her abused stomach, not bothering to give her a chance to speak. There was no point in listening to the words of someone about to die anyways. The girl tumbled down the small hill, sharp rocks and broken twigs scraping at her bare skin.

Sen gritted her teeth.

_It's no use. He's not going to listen._ Struggling to stand up, the tiny girl shivered as the stoic butler walked slowly toward her, biding his time. As if there was no rush to kill her...

As if she was of no importance to rush at in the first place.

For some reason, that set her off, anger suddenly flaring into her small frame. Odd abilities were suddenly given back to her, and she was not planning on dying randomly here in this unknown Story without finding out the reason first.

_I didn't live through countless action genres just to be kicked around like a rag-doll!_

The tall man paused for a bit, noticing the thin girl slowly taking up a strange stance. With arms bent, palm facing upwards, her dark eyes suddenly glared at him. A thin leg swerved in a sudden crescent motion, as her fists were quickly pulled down to her waist. Before he could act, Gotoh suddenly felt the ground below him disappearing. His sharp eyes widening, he quickly side stepped away, before noticing the dark haired girl run towards him. Her hands quickly flashed through a series of intricate movements as she suddenly took in a large breath.

_-Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!-_

Three small fireballs flew towards the wide eyed butler. Shocked, Gotoh quickly lifted up his arms, bracing himself for the blasting attack.

_Fssh_...

He blinked as the fire merely sizzled away at his sleeves, barely leaving a burn mark. His black eyes looked back up once more, but came to a halt.

The girl disappeared.

"Tch." His face grim, Gotoh scanned the area, unable to feel her aura close by. _It was a distraction. _

He quickly pulled out a cell phone, swiftly dialing in the numbers before putting it close to his ear. There was a small beep.

"It's Gotoh," his sharp eyes glanced around the immediate area once more, before giving a single huff, dashing off to the manor, "There's a trespasser wandering around the vicinity."

He raced off, irritation coating his eyes as he searched quietly for the little girl.

Unbeknownst to him, deep deep down underground, Sen laid against the walls of the hole she had hastily earthbended. The opening above was blocked back tightly with earth. Sweat trickled down her face as her body trembled slightly in the dark. The familiar crumble of the earth calming her slightly.

_What a scary butler-! _

"Gah!"

Suddenly, a massive wave of pain rammed through her abdomen. Blood fell over her lips as she coughed, her organs perfectly smashed underneath her shattered ribs. She let out a small groan as she placed a hand over her stomach, her face contorting to a grimace at the sharp pain. How was that butler able to damage her so heavily? A regular human should have only left a large bruise.

Unnaturally strong punches? Or just a very weak body? The girl wondered, before letting out a low chuckle as she recalled the fight a few moments ago.

_That was a really pitiful __Gōkakyū no Jutsu_.

Perhaps it was both.

Slowly sliding onto the floor, Sen huddled in a crouched form. Groaning with every movement, she stared down at her stomach when a sudden spark popped up in her mind. Her eyes widened.

"What's a Zoldyck?"

* * *

.

Back up in the sky, the moon gave a soft glow before stepping back down from her post, slowly hovering down over the Zoldyck Manor.

There, a young man with jet black hair stepped back from the windows.

He quietly shelved the fight on the small hill to the back of his mind, casually walking back to his room.

.

* * *

Sen gave a loud sigh.

It was dark. It was also dry. But mostly dark.

Her hand glowed a soft green over her belly as sweat fell down her face in concentration.

"Gah," she huffed, "That's all I can do."

The green light of the medical chakra leaving her hand as she collapsed against the walls once more. Bit by bit, Sen had been slowly healing her bruised organs and ruptured vessels with skills she had learned over at _Naruto_.

_Survived the Third Great Shinobi War and in the end, this is all I could do?_ She lifted her hand, glaring at it despite not being able to see anything in the dark hole. As per the norm, the team member with the best chakra control in each squad was educated in medical ninjutsu. So she had been tasked with keeping her team members alive.

Sen let out a loud sigh, aggravated at her young chakra coils. She used to be able to heal these sorts of wounds in ten seconds flat. Now it seems to take her hours.

She stared back into the darkness, her mind left to wander as her exhausted coils prevented her from practicing any , the grave face of the butler popped back into her mind. The dead eyes. The immense strength. Sen gritted her teeth. At least now she knows that she knows nothing.

A strong butler.

Zoldycks.

Property.

None of it made any sense to her. She was in a Story she had no recollection of at all._  
_

"I need to figure out a way out of this 'Zoldyck Property.'," Sen mumbled, talking out her ideas to make the darkness less lonely. Her voice bounced back against her thin ears, prickling sensitive skin as she felt the vibration.

She suddenly gave a small smirk, "Being born blind, I suppose Toph wouldn't mind the darkness at all."

The girl sat there for a few more hours, slowly regenerating enough chakra to heal her poor stomach. She had mended her bones. Her organs had stopped bleeding. Yet the girl still has lots of healing to do. She rubbed at one of the scratches on her arm, "Those can heal normally, I guess."

Sighing once more, Sen stood up, dusting away the dirt that she couldn't see off her clothes, and stood solidly with her feet apart. She couldn't stay long in the dark. Not when the butler was still looking for her. Suddenly she punched the dark air. The earth in front of her opened up to a small tunnel. She gave a small smile.

"Toph was right."

Sen punched again, elongating the tunnel once more, "Once you know the earth, you can never forget it."

Tugging off her boots and tying up the laces of the two separate shoes together, she swung them over her shoulder as she took another step barefoot. Small vibrations welled up into her as she fuzzily walk down her self-made tunnel. "I wish I listened to Toph and practiced this a bit more," she sighed. There wasn't all that much that she could 'see', and what ever she 'saw' was just a blurry mess that half made sense to her.

Her eyes took on a amused expression as she remembered her conversation with the short girl long ago. Jokingly, she had impulsively stated that since she was able to see with her regular eyes, she didn't need to learn how to 'see with her feet'. That little bit earned her a sharp knock to the head and the most horrid, pain-inducing, spartan training she had ever went through for three weeks.

"I think _Avatar_ was one of my first few Stories," she muttered to herself, slowly walking barefoot in the dark, trying to avoid a couple sharp rocks she couldn't bend away in the dark. Pulling in her other arm, Sen closed up the tunnel behind her. _Avatar_ was one of the few worlds where she remembered being truly happy in, where she felt carefree.

A small smile suddenly embraced her scratched face. In the end, Toph did manage to drill this vibration skill into her somewhat.

She continued on this path for a while, healing more of her stomach when the pain became unbearable.

"It kinda sucks. Being a kid again," she grumbled to the emptiness around her, sitting down to rest when her skinny legs couldn't take the strain any longer.

Eventually, she made it outside. Finding herself in a city in the Republic of Padokea.

* * *

~o~o~o~

* * *

A/N: Haha, yay~ Got this one out quite quickly. Some of you were wondering about romance, and I have to admit that it crossed my mind a bit. I can't tell you who she ends up with, if anyone at all. That'd be a spoiler. T wT

And well, it doesn't seem like the right time to tell you why she relates her death and rebirth with gaming terms, so I'll give you another piece of info. x _x

Info that may or may not be interesting to you:

When Sen Restarted in _Naruto_, she found herself in Kakashi's age group. Surprisingly though, she was adopted and accepted into the Uchiha clan. I can hear your befuddlement. What sorta Uchiha family had the heart and the ability to swallow their Uchiha Pride to take in a non-clan member?

Why, Shisui's family of course.

Till next time.


	3. Mud x and x Blood

**Chapter 3: Mud x and x Blood  
**

* * *

"What do you mean I can't work here!?"

Sen was furious, her cheeks puffing in irritation. The man towered over her, scratching his head. He looked to be in his fifties with graying hair and had a chubby belly.

"First thing is, you're too young. Second," he looked over the tattered girl covered in mud, "This establishment hires people who have the _sense_ to stay clean."

The small girl growled, eyes turning away as an embarrassed flush crossed over her cheeks. She had been living in the city streets for two weeks already, living off of food from the garbage and sleeping in dark alleyways. Unlike other Stories, where she would be picked up by whoever had a heart, this Story seems to be filled with cold, cruel people who spared no glance to a starving girl.

"Now shoo, you're scaring away my customers," he barked at her, slamming the door with a quick _snap_.

Sen slumped. He was the third guy that rejected her, not that she really blamed him. Though she healed up all her visible bruises and cuts from that fight on the hill, there was only so much her dark clothes could take against the streets. Stains had started to appear and threads began to loosen. Her once immaculate boots were scuffed and encased in a thick layer of dry dirt. A result from her trying to bend mud when it rained three days ago.

_Well, time to go jumping into dumpsters again._ Sen shuffled her feet against the cobblestone ground, stuffing her hands deep into her pockets. The sun slowly went down as night approached, the shadows growing longer and longer. Sen bit her lip. Still unsure of what Story she was in, it became difficult to for Sen to figure out what to do.

Normally, she would just follow the pacing of the narrative, going along with whatever adventure the main character was in. Other times, she would actively try to prevent some disasters that she knew would kill the ones she began to love.

This time though, not only does she not know anyone, she doesn't know how this world works. It left her feeling even more lost and alone than when she had woken up in her first Restart.

Slowly, Sen walked into an alleyway she hasn't been to before, hoping to find better food than the one she went into yesterday. She grimaced at her situation, but her stomach gnawed down at her, leaving her little to nothing to do but to dive into the trash.

Giving a small huff she jumped in, rummaging through the plastic bags before she was suddenly grabbed by the back of her shirt.

"You dare go through _my_ dump'ter?!" shouted a screeching voice.

"Hm?" Turning around, Sen came face to face with a very angry looking woman, her eyes bulging ferociously from their sockets. Her hair was gray and raggedy. Her clothes were composed of a mesh of things that weren't considered clothes at all, like wine bottles and an odd piece of rope. Sen's nose twitched as the old lady came up close to her face, her breath was even more putrid than the garbage.

The crazed woman suddenly tossed Sen off to the side, before diving into the garbage herself. "Kekeke~ My garbage. My garbage. Kekeke~"

_...Okay._

"You can keep this one then, Sasha," the girl said calmly, scratching the side of her head as she slowly walked back out onto the streets. Sen had met Sasha just three days after she popped up into the city. The crazy lady was the one who saved her when she was about to collapse from starvation, by stuffing her face with rotting bread.

.

_"Blergh!" Sen coughed, the extremely tangy taste of the bread stinging her tongue. "Forget it! I'd rather die than taste that again!"_

_The old woman merely cackled and stuffed more rotten bread down the girl's throat. _

_._

Their meetings were always brief, but Sen was always grateful for the woman. Somehow, the old lady showed her how to look through the trash and be comfortable in this odd life of poverty. Her weird antics always gave her something to smile about as they lived in the alleyways of the slums. Or at least her actions puzzled her enough to occupy her mind.

"HEY!"

"Oh~?"

"Get your ugly self outta mah trash, you stupid woman!"

The girl continued on, thinking that Sasha would just cackle and slither away again like she usually does. Sen had tried giving the old woman some food as thanks for everything she had done for her. But every time she presented her gift, the old lady would just laugh her weird laugh and disappear into the shadow of the alleyways. Sen slowly trudged on, her stomach imploring her to look for anything edible.

Suddenly a hard smack rang through the air. The sound of glass splintering against the ground crinkled with a bright flair. Dark eyes widened.

_Sasha._

Turning around, Sen quickly sped back down to the alleyway. Her muddy boots thunked against the cobblestone ground as she gritted her teeth, pushing away her oily bangs.

"Sasha! Sasha are you alr-!"

_Ba-dump._

Sen grasped the front of her dirty shirt as she felt her heart stop beating. The old lady laid still on the floor, her straggly, gray hair covering her face. Bits of shattered glass speckled the ground, twinkling under the light of the setting sun. Blood slowly pooled on the floor under the old woman, slowly thinning as it crawled its way between the cracks in the stone. Standing to the side was a large man, his eyes wide in shock at the prone form below him. Sen gave a hard swallow as something burned in the back of her throat.

It felt as if her heart had choked back up her airway, making it difficult to breathe. Her shoulders trembled. It was a familiar feeling. Too familiar. Sen stared blankly at the fallen form, a surge of old memories flashing rapidly through her eyes. The sight. The smell. The air. It was all too familiar, she can recognize it so easily. Sen gritted her teeth as her dark hair fell over her eyes, lowering her head so she couldn't see the body. Living through countless Stories, she should have been accustomed to it already. Accustomed to the death.

The death of a friend.

Suddenly, something bright flashed through her mind. Her eyes hardened.

_No._

_I refuse._

Sen rushed down toward the old woman, her knees crashing against the stone ground as she knelt down toward her friend. Her heart pounding, the skinny girl shakily reached over the frayed hair. She bit her lip, fingers quickly pushing away the gray hair as her hard eyes looked over the pallid face. Her body went frigid.

Sasha's eyes, were entirely blank.

Sen stayed still next to the old lady. Softly, she pulled away the rough hair from Sasha's pale face, her fingers delicately closed her empty eyes. Sasha was as cold as stone.

_Sasha..._

Suddenly the girl stood up, turning towards the man who was still shocked at the body on the ground. Noticing her sudden movement, the man stared warily at the girl before him. Her dark hair covered her face, blocking his view of her eyes. He shuddered as fear disturbingly creeped into his mind. Something told him to run. To run as far away as he could. He tensed slightly before a sudden spark flashed before his eyes.

Wait.

Why should _he_ run?

He was only defending his property. Even if it was trash. Private stuff was private stuff. Those beggars never had the right. Suddenly his eyes grew fierce as his face turned to that of contempt. The large man stood his ground as he looked down at the girl, noting her skinny frame, sunken cheeks, and withered clothing. It was only a tiny, frail girl. What had he been so frightened about? He opened his mouth, about to yell her off when a sudden gust of wind blew her dark hair away from her face. He gasped.

Dark and aflame, her eyes were lit in fury. The man took a step back as his heart pounded in terror, it felt like she was burning a hole though him. _W-Why-?!_

Sen trembled as she clenched her fists, the ground cracking under her feet. Her mind was boiling with rage, unable to create a coherent thought. She knew. She knew that if she attacked the man he would surely die. Glaring intensely at the man she bit her tongue, feeling the warm blood pool around her mouth. The slight pain and tangy taste did little to calm her down. A sudden flash of light appeared in the corner of her eyes. Unconsciously, Sen glanced down. It was a shard of glass that had attracted her eyes, but she was drawn to another thing.

All she saw, was Sasha's limp body.

Her anger suddenly exploded.

"WHAT'D YOU GO ON AN' DO THA' FOR?!" Sen shrieked, rage consuming her entire being, taking over what little reason she had left.

The man took a couple step back, drops of sweat appearing on the side of his head. Just what kinda girl is this? The anger rolling off this girl was unnatural. His heart was thundering against his chest as he stood stock still before the girl. Fearing any sudden movements would result in death, or worse.

The furious girl was about to take a step forward when he suddenly pulled up his hands desperately. "H-Hey! All I did was punch her and she fell over! It must have been those glass bottles on her! They prolly broke and stabbed her!"

The girl's black eyes were empty. However, it was markedly colored with hot anger and hate. The man shuddered, taking more steps backwards. It didn't seem like she heard him at all.

"I-IT'S NOT MY FAULT!" he choked, his back hitting against the wall, "I already told this hag a hundred times not to go through my trash! I already gave her a beating for it before, but she still came back!"

At that the girl's fury grew hotter. The man whimpered, his hands scratching uselessly at the brick wall. Suddenly, the splintered pieces of glass suddenly started throbbing along the floor. The man jumped, it felt almost as if the entire ground was shaking. Looking back at the frenzied girl, he gulped, sweat now pouring down his face. Fear took over his entire being. _How can such a little girl be so scary?!_

Trembling, he made a mad dash out, running down the street and trying to get as far away from the devil child as he could.

Growling, Sen was about to run after him when she felt a firm grasp grip her ankle. The girl paused, her eyes still blank.

"...ke."

Instantly, the girl's dark eyes brightened as her anger quickly dissipated. She looked down, noticing Sasha's trademark smirk.

"Sasha!"

The glass shards suddenly stopped jittering as the tremors in the ground mysteriously disappeared. Sen gasped as she knelt down toward the bleeding woman. The girl hastily looked over the old lady. Her face was still pale and thin from the loss of blood. Sen placed a finger on the elder woman's cheek, frowning at the coldness. Suddenly Sasha chuckled, her blank eyes twitching up at her.

"Kekeke..."

The girl froze, realization settling upon her like the brown leaves falling in autumn.

_Ah right._

_Sasha's eyes were normally like that._

Sen sat there mutely for a moment when Sasha suddenly wiggled her eyebrows.

"PFFT."

Letting out a small laugh, the dark haired girl hunched over as she hugged her thin self. Tears streamed down her eyes as a blush covered her cheeks. "You gave me a scare there, Sasha."

Delicately Sen reached over and lifted the old lady, taking her in her arms as she subtly increased the chakra flow in her arms. Pursing her lips, Sen hoped that Sasha wouldn't find it unusual for a girl like her with such thin arms to carry a lady twice her size.

Settling the old lady a few feet away from the broken glass and blood, her dark eyes scanned Sasha's injured back. The glass from the wine bottles had penetrated deeply, one shard almost poked through the spleen. Frowning, Sen started pulling out the glass embedded in the cackling lady's back. Her small hand deftly pulled out the shattered pieces with simple ease. Her experience as a medic ninja helping her out once again.

Dark eyes glanced at the mass of frizzy, white hair. Though she was careful not to further induce irritate the wounds, the crippled lady under her gave no signs of pain. Sen frowned as she picked out the last piece of glass. Sasha impervious to pain?

She shook her head. Her attention right now should be on healing the old woman. Sasha's wounds were now bleeding profusely once more when the glass was pulled out. It needed to be staunched quickly. Sen bit her lip as she looked down at her dirty shirt. She had nothing on her that could wrap the gaping holes on Sasha's back.

Sen jumped when Sasha suddenly let out a pained moan. She had to do something quick before Sasha suffers from extreme blood loss. Her dark eyes quickly glanced around before placing both hands over the woman's bleeding back, about an inch away from the punctures.

"Don't tell anyone about this, 'kay Sasha?"

The old lady just cackling randomly until she felt a warm aura flow across her back.

"Kekekeke-oh?"

Sen's hands glowed a soft green as the wounds on the elder lady's back stopped bleeding. Slowly, the puncture wounds started closing up, becoming smaller and smaller before new skin grew and covered over it. Her back was as good as new and possibly cleaner than it was before.

"There," Sen gave a small sigh before smiling at the old lady, "You can get up now Sasha."

"Kekeke. So you can do that too?"

The small girl jumped at that, "E-Eh?"

Cackling madly, the old lady turned over and sat across from the little girl as she stared knowingly into the little girl's eyes. "Keke, I've seen what you can do Sen-chan~. You've been making those holes in the ground and jumping into them every night, always closing up the top. Who knew you could do this as well~?"

Sen went cold at that statement. True, she had earthbended a hole wherever she got tired and slept in it. It felt safer under the earth than up above on the streets. But she was always careful when she did it, she was sure no one was around at those times. Her mouth gaped open, "H-how'd you know tha-?"

She quickly shook her head, "N-no! Before that, why're you talking so normally right now!?"

"Keke," the old woman continued, as if she didn't hear the girl. She most likely really didn't, considering her habits.

Though, that was a Sasha she knew before the glass incident.

Her dark eyes narrowed._ How does this new Sasha act?_

"Of course I don't blame you, Sen-chan. These streets are dangerous, no place for a young girl like you. So I was kinda glad you had that trick up your sleeve."

Suddenly the bewildered girl gave a small laugh, "Ahah. Maybe I healed you wrong Sasha, you seemed to have some memories jumbled up making you act weird!"

Sasha stared at the girl for moment, before letting out a mad snicker.

"I've seen you heal me girl! You healed my back. Not my head. So my memories are fine! Kekeke!"

The dark haired girl just continue to stare at the old woman. Though her speech had changed, the inflection, the behavior, the actions were all the same. It was still Sasha. Right?

Noticing the girl's suspicion, the woman just gave her a mysterious smile, "It's alright girlie. Sasha is still Sasha."

Sen just let out a small groan before slumping against the wall, rubbing her head. This was still the same woman who stuffed her mouth with rotting bread? Dark eyes peeked between slim fingers, looking over at the old lady. Her blank eye twitched as the old lady tilted her head sideways before pulling out something from her make-shift pocket.

It was a piece of bread. Mold already taking over half the loaf.

"Pfft."

Sen chuckled.

She'll accept that.

She'll accept this new Sasha.

The girl glanced over at the woman before calmly resting her head against the red brick wall. She closed her eyes as the setting sun stabbed its light into her retinas.

"I was sure no one was there when I made those holes..."

Sasha let out a laugh. "Kekeke. I was watching over you Sen-chan. I couldn't just let a little girl sleep in these dangerous alleys without supervision. Though it turns out you didn't need any watching at all!" She slapped her leg, laughing as if she had told the funniest joke in the world.

Sen pouted, surely Sasha only saw this recently?

"When did you see it, Sasha?"

"Right when you first popped outta the ground like a daisy those two weeks ago," Sasha stated bluntly, giving the girl a thumbs up.

Said girl did a facepalm. _Right on the first day I entered the city. _

The two just sat there, staring at each other. Well, Sen was sitting with a depressed face at the fact that her earthbending secret was discovered so easily. Sasha, on the other hand, simply played with the frayed end of her rope.

The sky above them was now a flaming orange as the sun was beginning to fade off around the bend, the orange hue closely chased by its purple partner. Suddenly, the girl stood up, rubbing the side of her head. This was the longest she had ever been with the old lady without her suddenly slipping away. Yet, because of that, staying around her any longer makes her feel awkward.

"Well, I'll be going now," the girl simply stated as she looked down at the old woman, "Please keep my abilities a secret for me. 'Kay, Sasha?"

Sen was about to walk away when the bug-eye lady suddenly spoke up.

"Eh? Who said I was gonna keep this secret?"

. . .

"Ehh!?" Sen quickly turned back to the cackling lady. "Sasha...Sasha won't...?"

The girl fell down before the old lady, her hands flat on the ground below her. She really didn't expect that comment. Sen continued to stare dumbfounded at the stone ground before she heard a muffled laugh. Looking up, she saw a teasing glint in Sasha's white eyes.

"SASHAAA! Don't tease me like thaat!" the girl whined, before falling down onto the ground in embarrassment. Sasha just let out another guffaw in laughter, the girl's face growing a brighter shade of red.

This was not the first time the old lady tripped up the small girl.

Pushing herself back up, Sen looked away from the crazy lady laughing at her, a red flush dusting her cheeks. "I'm gonna go now, Sasha. I wanna try and get a job tomorrow."

The girl was about to stand up and leave when Sasha suddenly spoke up.

"I know a better way to earn money."

Dark eyes flashed back to white orbs in confusion, "...Eh?"

Sasha just smirked as her eyes gave a mischievous twinkle, "Ever heard of the _Hunter Exams_?"

* * *

~o~0~o~

* * *

A/N: Aaand there it is! I dunno where Sasha popped up in my writing. Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was destiny. But it most likely was just from randomness, huh?  
Anyways, here's a little tidbit of information.

Info that may or may not be interesting to you:

Every time Sen Restarts, her body is always that of a child, but the ages can vary from four years old to thirteen. Occasionally her gender can also switch. Her appearance such as eye color and hair color change as well. For example, when she was in _Avatar_, her eyes were green. Colorings aside, her facial features changes occasionally too. At times she would have slimmer eyes in one Story compared to another, or hooked nose, and even have freckles dabble along her skin. Though the changes seem to just be random, letting her either stand out or left in the background.

What sorta face does she have now? Dunno, Sen never got the chance to look into a mirror.


	4. Hunter x Exam x Begins!

**Chapter 4: Hunter x Exam x Begins!**

* * *

Gon was trembling slightly in excitement as the elevator shaft hit the bottom._ This was it! The Hunter Exams!_

Besides him were Kurapika and Leorio, both also holding their breaths as they awaited the door to slide open. The tall man had on a large smile as he gripped his suitcase. The blonde boy next to him clenched his fists. Their goals and dreams were now a step closer to them. They were within reach. All they had to do, was pass this one large hurdle. The three held their breaths as the metal doors slid open.

_Gulp-!_

Their elation quickly turned into trepidation as they stepped out the door. Numerous glares were suddenly aimed their way. The atmosphere was heavy and dark, seeping with malevolence and distrust. It was truly a man for himself here. The Hunter Exam was a competition. Everyone was a competitor. There were no such things as allies in this room.

An odd shiver ran down Gon's spine as he smiled fastidly. _So this was what it means to be in a Hunter Exam..._

"Here you go," Gon tore his gaze away from the menacing crowd and saw a little man with a bright green head smile up at him. In his gloved hands, he held up a small disc as he handed it to the young boy.

The spiky haired child stuttered a small thanks as he took the circular badge from the green man. The number 405 printed plainly on the white background.

"Good luck on passing the exam," the man said brightly before walking away.

Gon stared on curiously before pinning the badge onto his green jacket. He looked to see Kurapika and Leorio wearing similar badges, with the numbers 404 and 403, respectively. The trio smiled excitedly at one another when suddenly a voice spoke up.

"With you three, that makes 405 contestants this year."

The three quickly looked up searching for the owner of that voice. Their eyes soon spotted a shadow sitting up high on a wall. Above them was stout man with a boxed nose, his small eyes looked down brightly at three newcomers. He was styled with short brown hair and wore an honest smile. The number 16 presented plainly on his badge.

He rubbed the back of his head as he jumped down from his perch. "I'm Tonpa."

Gon smiled back at him, his eyes big and bright as he shook the offered hand.

"Hi! My name is Gon! Nice to meet you Tonpa-san," the boy said cheerily as he pointed toward the two older men with him, "These two are with me! The one in the suit is Leorio-san and the other one is Kurapika."

Tonpa chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm, "You're new here, aren't you?"

At that Gon eyes widened in surprise as he laughed, "Haha, yeah! How'd you know?"

"Simple," Tonpa sniffed before giving them a smug look. His chest puffed up in pride, making his round form look even bigger, "I'm an experienced Hunter Examinee. This is my 35th time taking the Hunter Exam."

Leorio's jaw dropped at that comment, his dark glasses falling lopsided on his face. "Th-Thirty five times?!"

The short man smiled cheekily at that statement, "Yup! So I guess you could say I'm sort of an expert about the exam. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!"

Leorio just laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head, as he bent down toward his blonde haired friend.

"If I were him, I wouldn't be so proud..." he muttered quietly, Kurapika nodded his head in agreement. Though known world-wide as the most difficult of all exams. One that induced death, pain, and trauma towards the examinee, most would have either passed or quit the exam by their tenth try. Continuing on for thirty-five times showed quite the determination their round friend had.

Tonpa just kept chuckling, an amused smile on his face. Suddenly, his hands dipped in and rifled through his bags. The three looked on curiously when the short man suddenly grinned, his bright teeth showing through his lips. He suddenly looked up at the trio and saw their questioning gaze. He chuckled at their expressions as he suddenly gave them a calming smile.

"Oh! To commemorate our meeting, why not some drinks?" He pulled out three cans of orange soda, handing one each to the three newcomers. "It's quite good, actually."

"Woah!" Gon smiled brightly as he took a can, "Thank you, Tonpa-san!"

Tonpa just smiled quietly at the spiky haired boy. Leorio and Kurapika also muttered their thanks as they grasped the cold can. Gon laughed as he popped open the top, the orange juice fizzing out. The two older males glanced at each other curiously before shrugging, opening their own cans.

Unknown to them, Tonpa grinned mischievously as a dark glint shone in his eyes. Suddenly a loud shout pierced through the air.

"TONPAAA!"

Shocked, the four males turned toward the direction of the loud voice. It came from a small girl with large almond eyes and a button nose. She had thin face that was framed by thick, black bangs. The four looked on apprehensively as she trudged toward them, her dark eyes glaring vehemently at the aforementioned man. The number 397 was glinted against the light on her badge as a large frown marred her face. The ground below her deepened slightly with every step she took.

"Hehe...I shall take that as my cue to leave," Tonpa laughed warily, picking up his stuff as he quickly shuffled away.

"You get back here!" the girl growled, now running after him.

Tonpa was quick though. He swiftly dived into the crowd, zigzagging behind the right people. There was a reason he survived the Hunter Exam thirty-five times. The girl suddenly stopped, pausing as her dark eyes searched furiously through the mass. It was as if Tonpa had suddenly vanished when he slipped into the sea of examinees. She gritted her teeth.

"Damn it. Where'd he go now?"

Gon just stared calmly at the dark haired girl as she muttered curses at the short man. Growling at how she should have just kept quiet and sneak up on the boxed nose man instead. His eyes, bright and innocent, took in the scene before him as the girl paced back and forth angrily. _It seems Tonpa did something to make her angry._

He was about to take a sip from his orange soda when it was suddenly knocked out of his grasp. It clunked against the stone floor, the orange colored juice spilling all over the ground.

"Hey-!"

"Don't drink that," the girl said curtly, her eyes still searching for the short man. "It's filled with strong laxatives."

At that Leorio quickly spat out the soda he sipped, coughing hard as Kurapika just sighed and poured out his opened drink onto the ground. The blonde had a feeling that something was off when they were so graciously presented such good drinks.

"La-La-Laxatives?!" the tall man sputtered, wiping his mouth. Glancing at the orange can in his hand, the tall man quickly tossed it, letting it clatter against the ground. That can was dangerous! Kurapika suddenly punched the older male, muttering something about littering. It resulted with Leorio sputtering angrily at how Kurapika treated his own can the same way while Gon just stared wide eyed at his own drink on the ground, feeling betrayed at the can of orange.

The girl huffed, giving up on looking for Tonpa. She turned toward the three males and gave a tired smile. Anger fading away from her dark eyes, the three realized how young she looked. The girl was most likely around Gon's age.

"Yeah. Because of him, I had to take this Exam _again_," she grumbled, looking over at them before quickly glancing away,"L-Last year, he offered me a can of the same orange soda."

The girl blushed as her small hand covered her stomach, "I ended up with...stomach problems for three days."

She glared pointedly at Gon's fallen can. "Failed the exam last year because of it."

Leorio sucked in the air deeply, perturbed at how close he was to having bowel difficulties. He could've have been out of the count before the exam even started! Next to him, Kurapika smiled slightly before clasping a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I'm sorry for the trouble you went through last year because of him, but I thank you for saving us from a similar predicament."

The thin girl smiled back, rubbing the side of her head, "Ah, no problem. I wanted to prevent other people from going through the same thing I experienced. Glad I managed to save some at least."

She suddenly beamed at them, her eyes flashing darkly, "Though what I really want to do is give that Tonpa a good beating sometime or another."

The blonde boy let out a small chuckle, offering out his hand, "My name's Kurapika. These two are my friends, Gon and Leorio."

"Yo," the one in the suit waved at her, smiling warmly, "Thanks for saving us from Tonpa."

"Mhm!" the spiky haired boy agreed, his bright eyes shining at her dark ones.

The girl grasped Kurapika's hand and smiled brightly, "I'm called Sen. It's nice to meet all three of you."

"It's nice to meet you, too Sen-san!" Gon shouted happily, jumping back and forth excitedly. The boy wasn't sure why, considering she didn't do much, but the girl was interesting to him. She had a calming and mature feel to her.

She gave a small laugh, "Just calling me Sen is just fine. 'Sen-san' can become a bit troublesome on the tongue."

Suddenly her eyes narrowed and darted back to the sea of dangerous examinees, her boots sliding against the floor.

"Excuse me, but there is a sneaking rat I got to catch."

With that Sen stalked off into the crowed, anger slowly burning in her eyes. Her pony tail bounced up and down as she stomped her way through. The men impassively ignoring the dark haired girl, understanding her rage against the popular boxed nose man.

Gon smiled warily as the girl soon disappeared, "What do you think she'll do to Tonpa once she catches him?"

"Tsk. Hopefully she'll give him the worst beating of his life!" Leorio shouted as he scratched his head, now irked at the tricky man. Kurapika just hummed silently as the three waited for the exam to begin.

* * *

Sen trudged passed the mass of people, gliding away fluidly between each person. Her lips pursed in thought. The boy with the spiky forest green hair unnerved her. She felt like she had seen him before but couldn't precisely remember when or where. She frowned, trying to recall his unique hairstyle. Green. Black. Bright eyes. Her shoulders slumped as she let out as sigh. It was just too long ago.

Suddenly, a stout man with brown hair came into her field of vision Though it was only for a moment, the irritation in her eyes burned brightly once more. Quickly forgetting about Gon's odd appearance, the dark haired girl focused onto the short man a few yards away. A mischievous glint sparked into her dark eyes. It was time to get back at the tricky man.

Silently, the young girl crept up to him. Using the many large bodies of her fellow examinees, she quickly moved up to him, using a bit of chakra to mask the scuffle of her boots. Sen continued on between the people until she was a mere three feet away from the stout man. She smirked deviously.

"Oh, Tonpa~"

The man froze, a spot of sweat appearing on his head. Jerkily, he turned his head and jumped at how close the girl was to him. He smiled awkwardly at her, "W-Why hi there, Sen-san. How funny we meet aga-"

"Cut the crap and prepare for pain," the girl said darkly, the floor under her cracking suddenly. _Because of you, Sasha kept laughing a me for three months!_

"Ahahaha..." Tonpa trembled slightly in laughter and about to make another mad dash for it when he suddenly bumped into something hard. He grunted, furiously rubbing at his injured nose. He was about to make a rude comment when he glanced up at the examinee. His heart froze in his mouth.

Staring down at him was a man with bright red hair and golden eyes. He wore an unusual white jester outfit marked with dark suit symbols. His lips were slightly turned down in an unamused frown as his dark yellow eyes looked down at the man who bumped into him.

"Hi-_Hisoka_!" The boxed nose man squeaked, quaking in his boots. Fear easily took hold of the small man as he trembled terribly before the muscular magician. Tonpa opened his mouth, distressed as nothing came out. He couldn't even let out a scream. It felt as if an invisible grip had grasped his throat, making him unable to choke out another word. He gulped, his dark eyes staring up nervously at the taller man.

The man he was planning on avoiding the most. The man who had terribly injured an examiner. The man who had so easily killed so many examinees in the last exam with just a flick of his wrists. And he just bumped into him! Tonpa felt his entire being freeze up as cool yellow eyes looked down at him. The air became thick and heavy. Slowly, the magician turned toward him. The stout man squeezed his eyes shut. _I'm dead!_

**_PLACK!_**

The tubby body was suddenly punted across the building.

Tonpa let out a cry of surprise, landing harshly on the hard ground. He coughed, a bit of blood trailing down his mouth, his nose surprisingly remaining intact. Shaking his head he quickly cleared out his muddled thoughts as he blinked open his eyes. What happened?! He stayed face down on the hard rock floor as his heart beat furiously against his chest. Fear still wrapped around him. Shuddering, his dark eyes swiftly glanced around.

Hisoka wasn't there.

He wasn't near Hisoka.

His head crashed down onto the ground once more as tears of relief streamed down his bruised face. _I-I'm saved!_

Back at the original spot, Sen huffed, a drop of sweat sliding down the side of her face as she lowered her leg. _Good. Seems I kicked him far enough._

Nervously, her dark eyes slid over to the tall magician who smiled pleasantly down at her. She frowned, cautious of his cold, golden gaze. The young girl felt a terrible shiver trail up her body as she looked up at him, recalling his horrible killing intent when Tonpa bumped into him. Sen gritted her teeth in frustration.

That redhead was planning on killing the short man!

Though by no means affectionate toward the tricky bastard, there had been no need for the stout man to die. She clenched her fists as her eyes glanced back up to the dangerous jester, watching him warily. Why had this man leak out such a deadly _sakki_?

"Oh~?"

The small girl jumped slightly at the sound. The tall man took a step forward in his odd heels, an amused expression adorning his pale face. Sen froze at his gaze, his gold eyes sending shivers up and down her spine. Swallowing hard, she tried to shift into a defensive stance, her heart hammering painfully against her chest. _Something's not right with this man-! _

Her breath hitched as he suddenly spoke, his voice dark and twisty, "Why thank you, little girl, for getting rid of that rude person for me."

Sen twitched as a large hand touched the top of her head, patting her ever so gently. She suddenly let out a gasp. It felt as if a heavy shroud suddenly fell over her small form, encasing her in thick heaviness. Her dark eyes widened as she tried to step away. She couldn't move. Her arms. Her legs. Her body. Her entire being was suddenly unresponsive to her. Sen trembled slightly as she struggled to breathe.

"Honestly, bumping into me without apologizing," he flicked out a card, slowly licking the edge. A small smirk played on the edge of his lips as his amused yellow eyes met with confused dark ones, making the small girl shiver. "I was going to cut off his arms for that."

Suddenly he walked off, releasing his hold on her head. His heels clicking softly against the floor as the area grew tense and quiet. However, Sen stood still, locked in her defensive stance.

Ten seconds passed by.

Thirty seconds.

A full minute.

Her internal systems were going mad before she finally let out a breath and sunk down the floor, her chest heaving madly.

_I think I just found the villain..._

_._

Up ahead, amongst the startled examinees, Hisoka let out a small chuckle as people moved hurriedly out of the way from him.

He flicked a card between his clawed fingers, twirling it up and down. The man grinned.

_It seems an interesting fruit had sprouted up~!_

_._

The young girl was startled out of her stupor when an odd ringing clattered against the air.

_LILILILILI-!_

She looked up to see a lavender haired man with a curled mustache holding up an odd looking bell.

"Greetings, Hunter Examinees!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the entire room. "I shall be your examiner for the first phase of this exam."

He suddenly hopped off his perch from the balcony, his unusually long and lanky limbs now visible for all to see. He suddenly turned toward crowd, his eyes gleaming in the dim light.

"The Hunter Exam will now begin!"

* * *

~o~o~o~

* * *

A/N: Whoosh! Aha we finally get to see Gon and the gang! Sorry for taking so long. Also, FFnet, why do you prevent me from using heart emotes for Hisoka's speech? T _T

And...yeah, this how Sen will interact with the characters. Casually fitting in, I guess. Not everything will follow precisely to the original story, but I'll try to keep the main points in. Do you guys think this is good? Or is it too much? I really don't want to make any of the characters ooc. Please tell me if that happens. Also, with the way I'm writing this story, I dunno how to fit romance into the mix you see. Maybe close friendship if I try hard enough. x _x

As always, another tidbit of info.

Info that may or may not be interesting to you:

When Sen Restarts in a Story it doesn't necessarily mean she will be brought to the beginning of it. She could end up later or earlier, not even knowing if she will meet the main characters. So when she had met Aang and the gang, it meant that she wouldn't be able to meet Korra and her crew, since technically those two are in the same universe. Unless she lived long enough in the Avatar world to meet them. ...Did she live long enough?

_Sakki = Killing intent_


	5. Run x Run x Run

**Chapter 5: Run x Run x Run**

* * *

"This way please," the tall man commanded, as he walked down the tunnel. Troves of examinees followed in after him as the lavender haired man continued on with his introductory speech. "My name is Satotz, your examiner for the 1st phase of this exam. Now as well all know this is an extremely dangerous exam. Not only do you have to be wary of the usual beings that will maim you and try to eat you, you have to watch out for your fellow competitors. This exam shall hold no responsibilities for your death, from supernatural creatures or otherwise. Now, please follow me closely as we head to the 2nd phase of the exam."

Sen frowned as she half-listened to the lanky man, still distressed over her encounter with Hisoka earlier. The man was clearly dangerous. If she hadn't kicked Tonpa away in time, the short man would have surely died. The girl bit her lip as she recalled the magician's oppressing _sakki_. There was something off about it. It felt too heavy. Too thick. It felt more like the miasma in _Inuyasha. _The girl briefly wondered why the muscular magician didn't attack her before shrugging, her dark eyes focused on the mouthless examiner as he continued talking.

Even when the pink haired man was coated with such a dense warning screaming of death and danger, the examiners don't seem to care. In fact, they won't even try to save their examinees. The girl scratched the side of her head as her black boots scuffled along the floor. Is that normal? Is that how harsh the exam was suppose to be? To expect death at every corner and have the capabilities yourself to prevent it?

Sen continued contemplating, not noticing the pace around her becoming faster and faster. If the Hunter Exam is such a harsh trial, it may be an important plot point sometime in the Story. She chuckled softly. It seems to have already attracted the villain.

Her eyes grew hopeful.

She may see the main characters eventually?

Sen quickly shook her head and sighed at the thought, shuffling it away to the back of her mind. Even if the main characters enter the Hunter Exam, how would she recognize them once she saw them? They are not as easy as identifying a villain. And every one person in the exam had such unique features that it became difficult to-!

"Sen! What're you doing walking so slowly?" A bright voice laughed as Sen felt her elbow being tugged along. His small hands had a notably firm grip.

She blinked. "Ah, Gon."

The green kid smiled happily as he slowly let go of her arm. The girl shifted her pace and quickly ran along next to him, her spindly legs surprisingly fast enough to keep up with the group. Behind them were Leorio and Kurapika, both smiling in greeting. Sen smiled back in return and flushed when she saw their eyes colored in a bit of humor.

"Yo, Sen," Leorio chuckled as he readjusted his glasses, "You should be paying more attention to your surroundings."

The almond eyed girl laughed as a bright blush covered her face. Her smile widened at the tall man, "I guess I should."

The four ran along the tunnels, the dim light barely illuminating the dank, green walls. Hundreds of footsteps thudding loudly against the stone floor.

Glancing at the three males running along with her, the girl couldn't help but wonder what their relationship to each other was. They ran comfortably along together, seemingly to be like old friends. Her eyebrow twitched at the idea. The three males' age difference makes it difficult to imagine such a thing. The one in the blue suit looked about thirty, yet the other two looked less than half his age. The girl stared at the trio, trying to picture what their life might have been like.

It resulted in Leorio wearing a worn-out apron in his teens as he carried Kurapika and Gon babies in both arms.

"We're best friends! We're best friends!" the two toddlers chanted as the older male danced around merrily with a scowling smile.

_Pfft._

Sen's mouth quivered, her lips threatening to twist up in mad smile at the image. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she tried to rein in her laughter.

Noticing some thing odd about the girl next to him, warm brown eyes glanced towards her. The pale girl's face was unusually strained as the corner of her mouth twitched. Staring curiously, the young boy suddenly spoke up in an innocent voice.

"Ne, Sen."

"Hm?" The dark haired girl turned toward the child as he asked his question excitedly.

"How old are you?"

_Grk-! _

At that moment, it felt like Sen's mind had turned into stone at the question. _H-How old...? _

In truth, the girl didn't really know how old she was. Restarting multiple times at different ages made it difficult to keep track. It was worse when her deaths occur too early or sudden. Slowly, her dark eyes grew blank.

When _was_ the last time she kept track?

Gon tilted his head as the girl suddenly grew quiet, "Sen?"

"E-ehm! Two hundred twenty-eight!?" she blurted out randomly.

His brow lifted in confusion, "Eh? Two-Two hund-?"

Her eyes widened at the mistake. _No wait! That's not what I meant! Um-! _

Wracking her brains desperately for an explanation, the three looked on curiously at the frazzled girl. Suddenly her eyes turned bright as she turned toward the boy, smiling nervously as she pointed at Gon's confused face, "Wh-What's the square root of two hundred twenty-eight divided by two?"

Now it was Gon's turn to turn up a blank.

"A-Ah..."

The girl stared on curiously at the boy as the four of them ran in the tunnels, patiently waiting for an answer, footsteps pattering against the ground as they ran. The two older males merely shrugged at each other as the odd silence continued and stayed quiet, letting the young boy try to figure out an answer. They paced on like this for a while, minutes passing by like raindrops in a thunderstorm.

Sen looked on questioningly as Gon stayed quiet. Half an hour has already passed since she asked the question. Surely enough time has passed to solve the problem. She pursed her lips nervously as her dark eyes subtly slid over to the spiky haired kid. _Did he give up?_

Glancing at the boy, the dark haired girl quickly tossed that idea out. Gon's face was stern in concentration, sweat pouting down his head. His bright brown eyes were coated with an usual seriousness. He was still trying to solve it.

_Can...Can he not do mathematics?_ The girl wondered when smoke suddenly started to steam out from the boy's ears. "W-Wha!? Gon-!?"

Tears started to well up in his brown eyes as he looked back to the dark haired girl.

"Mou. That's too hard, Sen," he sniffed, his big, watery eyes looking up at her, "Can you give me an easier problem?"

_PFFT-!_

Sen quickly turned away from the boy as she hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands, shoulders trembling in laughter once more. Those big eyes. The small tears. That little pout. _Too cute! Why is this boy so cute!? _Surely such high level of cuteness was not allowed to exist. Coughing, Sen tried to control herself, a blush covering her cheeks as she wiped away a tear.

"You could've told me the problem was to hard to solve, Gon," Sen giggled, stifling a chuckle as she ran along with the boy. She smiled cheerfully at Gon as she gave him a quick lie, "I'm twelve."

Gon laughed, his apparent troubles with math long forgotten, "Ah! So you're the same age as me!"

The two children continued on laughing merrily in the dank tunnels, surrounded by heavy-set men sweating their lives out as the marathon continued on longer and longer.

"Just what are they laughing at?" Leorio muttered at the odd exchange.

"Beats me," Kurapika replied, keeping his questions to himself as he observed the two kids in front of him.

They were interesting. One was capable of mental math while the other struggled with great difficulty. Their innocence and bright laughter indicated that they were definitely young children. Kurapika smiled grimly, even with their surprisingly young age, both were able to talk normally even when most men have started heaving in exhaustion from the arduous pace set by the examiner.

Glancing at the skinny girl, noting her small stature and worn clothing, Leorio suddenly spoke up, "Hey, Sen."

The girl turned her head back to the tall man who was staring down at her with serious eyes. "Why're you participating in the Hunter Exam?"

"Kids don't usually take harsh exams like this," Leorio continued, explaining his question as the girl stared wonderingly up at him. He noticed large, brown eyes looking up at him as well.

He bit his cheek as he spoke weakly, "W-Well, I suppose Gon is the exception, but kids don't-!"

Suddenly a boy with a shock of white hair shot past the four, gliding swiftly on his skateboard.

"HAAH?! THERE'S ANOTHER ONE?!"

"Hm?" The boy slowed his speed as he looked up at Leorio, his sharp, blue eyes glaring cooly at the tall male, "You say something, old man?"

A tick appeared on the elder man's head. _Why this kid-!_

"Ah, it's nothing," Sen quickly intervened, sensing Leorio's rising anger. Large, cat-like eyes swerved to stare into her dark ones, "He's just curious as to why so many kids are in the Hunter Exam."

At that the white haired boy suddenly noticed how young the other two kids were. "How old are you guys?"

Gon quickly smiled, his teeth shining brightly in happiness, "The both of us are twelve!"

"Oh?" the white haired boy stared on curiously, "About the same age as me..."

The wheels of his skateboard tickered on the stone floor as he observed the two running along with him with ease. Suddenly he kicked his board, flipping it high into the air before easily catching it.

"OHH!" "Ooh!" Two excited shouts exclaimed as two pairs of bright young eyes witnessed the blue eyed boy's skating trick.

"Cool," Sen softly complimented as the boy gave her a slight smirk.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Sen, and this here is Gon," the dark haired girl smiled as she introduced everyone, pointing at each male in succession, "The one who shouted at you is Leorio and the one beside him is Kurapika."

The cat eyed boy just gave a small nod in greeting before Gon quickly spoke up to him, "Neh, neh. D'you think you could show me how to do that trick?"

This time Killua gave an honest smile before his blue eyes twinkled mischievously, "Only if you teach me how to use that fishing pole."

Gon laughed. "It's a deal!"

Sen smiled as the two chatted amiably, including her in on the conversation occasionally. At times the three would illicit raging remarks from Leorio that would quickly be rebutted with a cold counter by Kurapika, causing all five to laugh raucously. The five of them ran on comfortably, hours passing by in a flash.

The dark haired girl sighed in relief as she looked at Gon and Killua conversing brightly about different types of footwear. When she first saw the white haired boy, she had noticed a certain darkness in his blue eyes when he first strolled in. It was emotionless and spoke of death and solitude. She had feared that Killua would be a dark character, all quiet and distrustful. Instead, the white haired boy was as surprisingly as bright as Gon, if a bit more subtle and cautious. She paused.

_Wait, 'characters'...?_

"Hey! Let's race!" Gon suddenly shouted, his eyes glinting with competitiveness.

"Oho?"

Killua smirked, as if he had a secret that enabled him win at everything, "Alright!"

"Loser has to buy dinner for the other!" Gon laughed as the two suddenly dashed off ahead. Their footsteps quick and light, the two quickly swerved past all the sweaty men. Sen stared at their disappearing backs, the two challenging each other like good rivals.

_Could they be the main characters I have been looking out for?_

Kurapika suddenly chuckled at the younger boys antics, sweat sliding down his face, "Wish I had that much energy."

They had been running at the fast pace set by Satotz the examiner for nearly four hours. After the fiftieth mile, people were starting to drop out of the marathon. The tall man next to the blonde was sweating profusely, dark wet spots appearing on his blue suit as the salty water dripped down his back. Leorio huffed, his breath heaving as he stuttered. He barely had any energy to talk.

"Che. Just where do they get all that energy?" Leorio muttered, his suit not helping him out with the run. It was actually getting heavier and hotter as it impeded his movements.

"It's 'cause they're young," Sen absently sighed, her mind focused on other things. Though not tired in the least, the girl decided to stay back with the two older men, not wishing to partake in the boys' race. Her boots sped lightly on the floor, running with the subtle aide of chakra.

Leorio just raised his brow at that comment, "Aren't you young as well?"

"Ah," the girl realized belatedly, "True."

She suddenly aimed a sly smirk at the tall man, "But then that's why I'm not sweating like a hog, unlike this old man next to me."

"HAAH!?" Leorio scowled, a large vein ticking on his head. Sen gave a small laugh as the large man started chasing after her, "You really ain't cut out for this Hunter Exam, Leorio! I can see you huffing and puffing like mad!"

Kurapika just chuckled at the two as they ran around, swerving past the other competitors as they yelled and screamed. His black eyes glanced at the small girl who was laughing hard at Leorio's futile efforts to catch her. He gave a soft smile._ Sen, what a nice girl._

Sen's true motives behind her actions did not go unnoticed by the blonde haired boy. The almond eyed girl had noticed the older man's vigor had been slipping. The long run was starting to take its toll on Leorio. So she mocked him, poking him into anger. Subtly, she had enticed him to run faster to keep pace with the harsh run. The blonde eyed the upturned lips on the large man as he yelled at her, it seems that he too had noticed the girl's efforts.

Leorio gave a large huff, giving up on catching the skinny girl. Sen merely smiled up at him as she ran along next to the tall man. Suddenly a thought popped back up in his head.

"Hey, Sen," Leorio started, making the girl look up at him curiously, "Just why did you enter the Hunter Exam?"

"Ehh?" Sen chuckled, her eyes shining brightly, "Why the weird question, old man Leorio?"

Th lanky man's brow twitched, "It ain't weird! Everyone must got a reason to enter the Hunter Exam!"

The girl just gave a small shrug, her eyes looking away from the other two.

"It's the best way to get money, isn't?" she mumbled.

At that, the two older men stared at her, eyes wide in shock. Neither expected that sort of response from the nice girl who had saved them from Tonpa's laxative juice.

"I-Impossible, that can't be the reason why," Kurapika stuttered as he stared bewilderingly at Sen. Was the girl actually as vain as Leorio!? Were most of these people participating in the Hunter Exam just looking for the money?

"Ah, well," Sen gave an awkward laugh as she scratched the side of her face, "I just...I just wanna repay this kind, old lady."

Suddenly, she gave a bright smile at the two, "She saved me from the streets, you see!"

Kurapika's eyes softened, understanding filling his voice, "So you just wanted to show your appreciation to her?"

"Mhm!" Sen nodded as Leorio asked her another question. If the girl merely wanted to repay the old lady, she didn't need to enter the Hunter Exam for it.

"Wouldn't a normal job be enough?"

She shook her head, giggling at the taller man. "Nope. We're still living in the streets. Our financial status is at zero Jennies."

The two gave her blank stares at that statement.

"E-Eh!? I thought she _saved_ you!?" Leorio finally sputtered.

"She did! But she lives on the streets, too!" The two young men just stared on at the confusing girl as she laughed. Another minute and Kurapika just simply chuckled at the girl and accepted her response. They continued at the set pace, their footsteps hitting hard against the stone pavement. It had been six hours since the run began. Many people had abandoned the run already.

It wasn't until they spied the large, spiraling staircases that stretched up high to the invisible ceiling did Leorio's heart start to drop. His eyes glazed over, losing hope as he struggled on the steps. He suddenly fell to the floor after two flights, sweat dripping down his face.

"No more," he gasped, his breath heaving as his two companions stopped next to him. "I can't run anymore."

Kurapika looked down at the older man, his own chest harshly rising up and down. Worry and questions began to take over the blonde's mind as he gazed at Leorio. What should he do? Encourage him? Stop him? Will it be safe for the man's health to make him continue? His black eyes scrunched in worry as he stood near the fallen man.

Sen suddenly spoke up.

"Neh, Leorio. Why'd you enter the exam, then?" Her dark eyes glanced warily as the tall man clutched his stomach. Sweat poured down his face and back. His breathing staggered and his glasses were hanging lopsidedly. He looked about ready to break down at any moment.

"Haah. I suppose for the money too," he huffed, chuckling as he realized his goals matched with the small girl's somewhat. Kurapika scoffed at that, but allowed the man to continue on.

"A long time ago, a friend of mine was terribly sick," Leorio gasped, his breathing starting to stabilize. His beady eyes began to mist.

Sen tensed as she saw his sad expression. It looked broken. Lost. Just what sort of past did the man have? The girl moved unconsciously, slowly kneeling down toward him. Her dark eyes stared deep into older ones.

"Is-," she shook her head.

"Did he make it?" she whispered, placing her hand on the man's broad shoulders. Thought she had asked the question, Sen felt like she already knew the answer.

The man started trembling as tears welled up in his eyes, anger seeping into his blood, slowly boiling him in rage. "W-We couldn't get enough money for the treatment! His illness was curable! He could've lived! But-!"

Leorio choked as his tears began falling down his face. His hands clenched tightly, remembering his lost friend. He suddenly gritted his teeth as his eyes burned in determination.

"THAT'S WHY I'M IN THIS STUPID HUNTER EXAM IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

Sen jumped as the tall man suddenly shouted, his dark eyes blazing in anger, "MONEY! IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE MONEY!"

Suddenly he tore off his stifling jacket and even peeled off his shirt that was drenched in sweat, "To hell with this! I'm gonna beat this exam even if it kills me! Why else am I here!?" He then dashed off, his anger giving him new found energy, "I'm gonna become a doctor so rich, my patients won't even need to pay for their operation!"

The two just gawked at the older man's sudden rise and run. Leorio kept on shouting as he ran up the stairs, getting back closer and closer to the group. Sen just blinked, dumbfounded at the man's actions.

Kurapika laughed noticing the girl's confused expression. He took off his own restricting clothes, "Lerorio's right. We shouldn't lose face this early."

Recovering from her initial shock, Sen just beamed at the blonde as the two rushed off to catch up with the older man, the girl grabbing his forgotten suitcase. The two laughed as Leorio gave a start in surprise at how easily the two had caught up with him.

_These two...they're part of the main cast too, huh?_

* * *

_~o~O~o~o~O~o~_

* * *

A/N: Gaaah I updated this quite laatee! Please forgive meeee! Q AQ

Actually, I have to be honest with you guys. School has finally started for me, so updates won't be as fast as they used to be. x _x

In the meantime, I'll instead try to make my chapters longer to make up for the slow updates. So please bear with this new change. m (_ _)m

Like usual, here's the little bit of info.

Info that may or may not be interesting to you:

Going through multiple Stories has blurred the lines between fiction and reality for Sen. When this weird Game first started, the girl had treated everyone she met as three-dimensional storybook characters. However, as death, pain, and emotion became prevalent to not only her, but the characters she was with, Sen realized that the 'characters' were people, too.

These people have history. They have their own personal life. They can make decisions on their own that defy those that were defined on paper. It was then that Sen understood that not everything that had been written on the pages was definite.

That was when she regarded those characters to be as real as her.


	6. Through x the x Marsh

**Chapter 6: Through x the x Marsh**

* * *

Sen huffed, her footsteps clunking heavily on the stairs. Her knees wobbled as she pushed on, taking in another dry breath as she licked her lips. Thick blood pumped through her veins, its echo pulsing repeatedly in her ears. Besides her were Leorio and Kurapika, sweat sliding down their faces as they staggered along next to her, heads held high as they forced their legs to keep moving.

The older male grunted as his legs began to go numb from the stress, his knees bending suddenly at random times. The blonde next to him clenched his jaw mutely, his lungs burning in his chest as he breathed in the musty air. Their hair was matted and dripping, coated in a thick smear of grime as their limbs trembled up the steps.

Dark eyes worriedly glanced over to the two males, wondering if either of the two was about to fall over when a small smile suddenly gracing the young girl's lips.

The two men's eyes were blazing fiercely, keenly staring on ahead as they simply wiped away the sweat blurring their vision. A soft chuckle bubbled out of her throat as Leorio rubbed his nose, causing him to send a confused glance at the girl. Sen flushed, the tips of her ears coloring a stark pink as she rubbed the side of her head.

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Leorio merely lifted a brow as the girl smiled cheesily up at him. Nodding his head as he let out a puff of air, the three wearily trudging onwards.

"_Haah. Haah._"

The minutes straggled by, dripping slowly like honey on smooth glass. Sen winced as she pulled up her leg, each step straining her small muscles. She had long depleted her chakra reserves, leaving her system nearly empty. Any continued use would risk putting her body in a severe state. The girl wiped at her forehead when a bright light suddenly blinked up above her. Kurapika gasped.

"Is that..."

"It is!" Leorio shouted happily, a large grin stretching his face as he ran faster up the steps. His two friends quickened their pace beside him, a maddening smile reaching both of their faces as well.

Their footsteps clambered on loudly as they rushed on, the light ahead of them getting brighter and brighter, slowly engulfing the dimness of the dank tunnels.

_Fwoosh-!_

"We did it!" Sen cried, the fresh air blasting against her sweaty face as she jumped through the exit. Landing softly on the grass, the girl panted as her eyes adjusted painfully to the brilliance of the light outside. A large smile stretched over her face as she squinted through the brightness. It was always nice to feel the sunlight.

Suddenly, two solid thunks resounded behind her. Turning, the girl saw the other two men slumped over on the ground, their chest heaving rapidly for air.

"About goddamn time," Leorio muttered, putting an arm over his eyes. Kurapika let out a sigh in agreement as he stood back up, dusting the dirt off his clothes and wiping away the grime on his face. Sen laughed as Leorio grumbled about not wanting to ever get back up again. Her light voice sprinkled through the crowds, reaching the ears of a certain spiky haired boy.

"SENNN!"

Said girl choked in her laughter as an arm was suddenly thrown over her shoulder.

_"_Gon-! Gon, I can't breathe...!"

Said boy simply laughed merrily as he released his hold on her, his eyes shining as brightly as ever.

Sen let out a puff of air as she rubbed her throat, a small pout forming on her mouth as she glared up at the spiky haired boy. Gon's smiled wavered.

_Ah, I didn't mean to make her angry..._

The boy was about to apologize to the dark haired girl when a mischievous glint suddenly sparked up in her eyes.

"Gyaah!" Gon cried loudly as Sen suddenly grabbed him under her arm and rubbed a fist furiously against his head, grinding her knuckles deeply against his skin. _It burns!_ Gon was about to let out another cry of pain when the rough fist suddenly disappeared from his hair. Blinking, teary eyes looked up at the girl, a devilish smile gracing her lips as she smirked toothily at him, "Now we're even."

Gon gave a weak chuckle as he rubbed the top of his head, the skin burning madly as he touched it tenderly, "Mou, Sen. That hurt." The spiky haired boy kept a delicate hold on his burning scalp when a certain white haired boy walked up behind him, his blue eyes looking at the red bump curiously.

"Hm? Something wrong, Gon?" Killua asked as he reached up a hand. Brown eyes stared warily at the pale fingers when they suddenly poked at the top of his head.

"Ah!" Gon winced as he pushed away the pale hand, stepping away from the curious boy. Noticing this, the curves of Sen's smirk loosened as worry started to color her dark eyes. Had she been too rough on him? Reaching out, the girl went and poked at Gon's swelling head as well.

"Ow!" The spiky haired boy cried as he backed away from his two friends who continued poking at him with enthusiasm.

"Heh~," Killua grinned, reaching out his hand once more, "How interesting."

Gon pouted, "Stop it! Don't you two come any closer!"

The dark haired girl chuckled as she simply stepped toward the green clad boy, "Sorry, sorry. I think I was too rough on you, Gon. Lemme see it, please?"

Gon was about to open his mouth in protest when a slim hand suddenly delved deep into his thick hair. He winced slightly, expecting pain to come bursting forth from the touch. Instead, he felt a soothing coolness calming the burning sensation on his scalp. The girl smiled brightly at him as she gently rubbed the top of his head, retracting her hand from his forest green hair.

"Eh?" Curious eyes turned wide as Gon tentatively poked at his skin with a wary finger, soon running his entire hand all over the top of his head. He blinked.

The pain was completely gone.

"So, Gon. Killua," Sen suddenly spoke up, her head tilting sideways as she glanced between the two boys. Questioning stares blinked back at her as the ends of her lips quirked upwards, "Who won?"

Killua suddenly gave a grunt in irritation at the question, clasping both hands behind his head.

Realizing the girl was talking about their race, Gon snickered, "We tied. So we're both gonna treat each other to dinner."

"Bah! I'm sure I was faster!" the white haired boy argued, turning away and stiffing his nose in the air. The girl laughed as the cerulean eyed boy walked away from them.

"Maa~ Don't be like that, Killuaa," Gon whined wrapping his arms around the boy, hugging him closely as he pouted. "Even Satotz-san said we tied."

"Hmph!"

Sen simply giggled at the two's antics, stuffing her hands deep into her pockets as the two boys walked over to Leorio and Kurapika.

"You alright, Leorio-san?" the boy asked, his eyes looking worriedly over the tired man.

"Ah," the older male huffed, wiping rivers sweat off his face, "I'll be fine in a mome-"

_Clank._

Dark eyes shot up to see a gate slowly roll down on the exit, the thick metal clankering as it slipped to the ground.

.

_Almost there!_

Gasping, a dry tongue licked at withered lips, doing little to moisten the pale skin. His lungs were burning, feeling as if a broiler had been placed inside his chest, puffing out clouds of hot steam with every breath. He let out a yelp as his knees suddenly collapsed to the ground, crashing hard onto the pavement.

"Gah," he huffed, his chest heaving in the dry air as his limbs burned under his skin. It felt as if a hot claw was scraping against his veins, ripping at the tendons and slicing at his joints. His purple eyes stared upwards, blinking through the dripping sweat. Three steps laid between him and the exit.

He can make it.

The man struggled to push himself forward, grunting as a splintering spike flared up in his legs. He let out a strangled yell, accidentally biting his tongue. _No. Ignore it._ Clenching his teeth, his hands grasped at the ledge, his arms trembling as he pulled himself over. His nails scraped painfully against the stone, cracking slightly at the pressure.

_Clank._

Startled, lavender eyes widened as the man felt his soul slowly slipped down from his heart. Darkness slowly dropped over the light of the exit.

"N-No wait!" he cried out, his voice strained and stretched, his limbs protesting with every movement.

_It can't-It's can't __just _ end like this!

.

_"-wait!"_

Sen blinked, her dark eyes glancing around before noticing movement behind the exit. Looking down, the girl saw a man crawling on the floor, his arm trembling as he reached a frantic hand upwards, grasping the air in vain. Sweat dripped down his blue hair, his eyes crying out in desperation. His voice cracked, crying for help once more, his body merely a few feet from the falling door.

"P-Please!" he stuttered, his hands grasping at the stone ground as he vainly tried to pull himself forward. He looked back up, hot tears pelting down his freckled face, "I-I'm so c-close. Please, just-!"

He sobbed, his head slamming onto the ground, his cries landing on uncaring ears. This was it. This was all he could manage. Heads turned away from the man, silently wishing for the gate to close down faster.

Sen frowned as she looked down at the man, his deep sobs shifting dusty memories back to life. Her boots shifted on the grass, about to walk down towards the blue haired man when she was suddenly jerked back by the hem of her shirt. Turning, her eyes widened in shock to see Kurapika pulling her away from the shutting gate.

"Don't bother," he calmly stated, his low voice sending shivers across her skin. The girl just gave him a baffled stare, gaping slightly as she looked back to the blue haired man. The door creaking slowly as he continued to pull himself forward, failing miserably as his limbs lay dead beside him. Sen turned back to the blonde, confusion crossing her young face, tugging against his firm hold.

Kurapika sighed as he looked away from the wide, bewildered eyes staring up at him.

"It shall only be more difficult for him from here on out," he softly explained, his blonde bangs covering his eyes. At that, Sen stilled, her dark hair slowly falling over her face. Kurapika released his hold on her as her dark eyes blankly glanced back toward the man on the floor, his form limp and shuddering, reminding her of incidents long passed. Making her want to run to the man. Her hands clenched at the metal suitcase she had held onto for Leorio, her feet rooted to the ground. She wants to go, but Kurapika's explanation held her back.

Her dark eyes glazed over.

She couldn't.

"S-Somone..." the man croaked weakly, tears pouring down his eyes as he gritted his teeth. He pushed himself forward, his entire body trembling against the ground, barely having the energy to inch closer to the exit. The gate slowly closed down over him, already two thirds of the way to the ground. He sobbed, collapsing down on the dirt floor, realizing that there was no hope left for him. The dust blotched against his grimy face, the brown dirt mixing in with his tears.

This was it. This was all he could accomplish. He ran all this way for nothing. He entered the exam for nothing. He left his family for noth-

_Chrk!_

Jumping slightly, his eyes widened as his head shot back up. He let out a confused gasp.

There, the one holding up the falling gate, was a frail, thin girl. She gritted her teeth as her hands clamped down under metal, forcing it to stay up. A harsh crackling sound creaked as the machinery shuddered against the resistance. The man just stared on dazedly, his mouth falling open at the scene before him. The girl stood strong, her small body somehow having the strength to fight against the tempered machine.

_Who is-? _

_What is she-? _

_Why would she-?_

"Hurry up!" she barked, her dark eyes glaring down at the sweaty man. Confused purple eyes just stared up blankly, stunned to the point of stupor. The girl cursed, clenching her teeth as she tore herself away from his gaze, "You're already halfway through the exit! Either you go back in or come out! Otherwise you'll be squished!"

The man just looked on with confusion, sweat dripping down the side of his face as he gaped up at the girl.

Sen grunted, the heavy metal biting at her skin as it pushed down her hands. The machinery crackled loudly as it fought against the girl, her limbs trembling as the gate struggled to push down. The dark haired girl clenched her teeth, glaring heatedly at the white metal. Her knees wobbled as she forcefully pumped more chakra through her exhausted system, the sensation burning her muscles. The ground suddenly cracked under her.

"C'mon!" a new voice cried.

The man could barely make a sound as a pair of small hands grabbed his wrists, sharply pulling him through the doorway.

**_BOOM!_**

The gate slammed down hard on the ground, pushing dust up into the air. Sen gasped, falling to the grassy floor. The girl winced as her red palms rubbed against the dirt, her hands burning madly. Glancing to the side, she saw Gon pulling the blue haired man up, giving a comforting smile to him.

The man trembled slightly as he sat up, purple eyes blinking between the two children. Just what happened?

Suddenly, a loud capping sound reverberated through the air.

Startled, dozens of eyes swerved over to the front, finding Satotz clapping calmly at the scene, his face passive and emotionless. The air suddenly grew tense, focusing on the lavender haired examiner as he stood before them, "Well then, now that all of the examinees are present, I will now give you more specific directions for the next part of our run."

Questions began to murmur between the crowds as Sen suddenly realized the state of their current location. Huffing, her dark eyes turned wildly around her. Her skin prickled at the sight. The group was high up on a cliff, overlooking a thick, dense forest. A heavy mist swirled between the trees, unearthly cries squawking through the fog.

"Wait, we're not at the 2nd phase yet?" yelled a bewildered contestant, the number 63 emblazoned on his pin.

Satotz shook his head as he put his gloved hands behind his back, "Not at all. We still have a ways to go."

Sen frowned as her dark eyes glanced back to the blue haired man. He slumped down to the ground as he processed the news, his breath still heaving from the run. He looked like he gave up.

A gloved finger suddenly pointed itself towards the marsh. "As you can see here, this is the Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindler's Swamp." the tall man sniffed, his twirly mustache bouncing as he rubbed his nose, "Aptly nicknamed for the unusual beasts inhabiting this marsh. The creatures here are known to trick their victims before suddenly killing them and eating them."

He sent a cool gaze toward his examinees, "We shall be passing through here, so be sure to stay close by me, for that is the only way for you to stay safe-"

"HOLD IT!"

Sen jumped as she searched for the owner of the loud voice, finding a bleeding man with brown hair. He held an arm to his side, trying to staunch the flowing blood on his torso as his eyes burned fiercely at Satotz. The lavender haired man merely stared back with certain calmness.

"I'm the real examiner for the first phase! That man there is not who you think he is!" he shouted, pointing an angry finger at the slim man. "That there is a man-faced ape! Known for disguising themselves as humans to lure in their victims!" He suddenly pulled out a creature behind him, its limp form long and lanky. The top of its head was furred with lavender colored hair, its thin eyes were rolled back, the face eerily similar as Satotz.

Shouts of surprise burst through the crowd as people looked back and forth between the two men. Leorio panicked as his arms twitched, his eyes suddenly widening at the first Satotz. The hair. The limbs. The lanky way the man walked. His dark eyes looked back to the dead creature on the ground. He gulped. Satotz must have been an ape. He doesn't even have a mouth!

Amongst the crowed, Sen's dark eyes glazed over as she glanced towards the injured man. She sighed inwardly. _I think I've lived long enough to not fall for this trick. _

She reached out toward Leorio, wanting to tell him to calm down when she suddenly heard something whistle through the air. Eyes widening, she quickly retracted her arm as a flash of white whizzed by where her hand had been a moment ago.

"Come with me and-_Guark_!"

Loud gasped filled the air as several cards embedded themselves into the brown haired man's face, instantly killing him. The body crashed down onto the floor, squishing the monkey below him. Noticing the sudden heaviness, the ape below the fallen man suddenly blinked back to life. Staring straight into the blank eyes of its fallen comrade, it screeched, quickly dashing off into the distance.

Leorio choked, "It was still alive?"

Shocked murmurs whispered through the crowd as a certain _Tr-tr-tr-trpp!_ of stiff cards clattered in the air.

"Well then," a twisting voice chimed, revealing a certain bemused magician. A curled smile graced his lips as his fingers shuffled a deck of cards. He nodded toward the mustached examiner who was holding up several of the cards between his gloved fingers, "I suppose that clears the confusion."

Sen tensed as she felt something heavy coat over her small being. Looking up, she gulped as she spied a pair of golden eyes smiling with amusement at her across the crowd. The man chuckled as he flipped a card, "The examiners here are hunters who volunteered for the position. Stopping such an attack such as this should be simple enough for them~."

Flicking away the small sheets, Satotz simply patted down his suit as he looked up toward the magician, his voice calm and composed.

"I shall take that as a compliment, Mr. 44," beady eyes suddenly flashed warningly down at the chuckling redhead, "However, should you do the same thing to me again, for whatever the reason, you shall be disqualified from the exams. Understood?"

Hisoka simply smiled, the ends of his lips stretching across his face, "Hai, hai."

Coughing, the tall man continued his speech, his eyes focused back on the group, "Now as you can see, you have to be vigilant while traveling through the swamp. Stick close and I shall ensure your safety."

With that he stalked off, his long legs forcing the group to, once more, keep up the fast pace back in the tunnels. Killua dragged Gon into another race as Leorio and Kurapika quickly staggered on forward, their limbs still tired from the previous run. The blonde grasped at the medical case, tossed over to him haphazardly by the small girl when she had rushed off to save the blue haired man. His lips turned to a frown, still disagreeing with her decision.

.

Sen was about to dash off alongside the group when she noticed the blue haired male sitting idly by, his purple eyes staring blankly at the ground. The girl bit her lips, her dark boots shuffling toward him over the soft grass, "Um..."

"Go on without me," he suddenly mumbled, his large hands slowly covering his face. His voice quivered as the girl looked straight at him, worry falling over her eyes.

"Losing face on the first phase of the exam, how stupid am I?" he choked, trying to hold back his sob. The girl frowned, about to reach out toward him only for the man to shrink back against the wall, shaking his head furiously. He grabbed at his soft blue hair, twisting his fingers through the long tresses as tears leaked out his eyes, "I even needed t-two little kids to save me! What sort of hun-hunter will I be if I pass the exam l-like this!?"

Sen looked down at the man, his resolve dissipating into thin air as he realized how pitifully he had acted at the gate. Realized why no one had helped him.

His shoulders trembled, tears streaming down his face. He hugged his knees, teeth chattering as he yelled, "I'm such an embarrassment to all hunters, everywhere. I-I shouldn't e-even be here-!"

_SMACK!_

Purple eyes blinked rapidly as pain slowly registered in his mind. He lifted a hand, fingers tenderly touching a flaming cheek. Glancing upwards, he saw the girl brows furrowed, a clenched fist raised at him. She gritted her teeth, baring her tiny fangs at him.

"If you don't feel like you belong here, then you _make_ yourself belong!" she shouted, dark eyes burning up at him, the fire within them jolting him out his tears. She suddenly grasped his wrist, swiftly dragging him towards the crowd disappearing into the misty forest.

The man just stared dazedly as his legs tumbled along with the girl.

_Make myself belong?_

* * *

_._

* * *

The mist was thick, choking the damp air. Wild cries shuttered through the trees, as screams rang in the air. Sen huffed as she ran, her slim fingers entwined with large, rough ones. They were late in the run but the girl followed through, her thick boots stomping heavily through the marsh. The earth rebounded below her, speaking to her, translating which path had been trodden by human feet, and which were filled with tricks and traps created by the heinous creatures of the swamp.

Her dark eyes glance up to the taller man a few steps behind her. The skin under his eyes were red and swollen, puffing up from his recent tears. Mud was smeared across his face, slowly flecking off as it dried. Yet even with his disheveled appearance, his purple eyes were steady, sharp and aware of his surroundings. The man ran alongside the shorter girl as their feet shuffled against the tall grass. Coarse hands suddenly tightened around her smaller ones.

"Irevin," a low voice guttered, "My name is Irevin."

Sen looked back up to the man, finding his face shaded beneath soft, blue bangs. He went silent for a while, mutely following the girl. She peered up warily at the him before noticing a bright glint peeking through long tresses. Irevin stared down at her, a sudden fire blooming within his lavender eyes.

Thin lips quirked to a toothy smile, "Sen. Call me Sen."

"Sen," he whispered, a soft smile stretching across his face, "Thank you."

The two rushed on, an odd friendship forming as they headed toward the location of the 2nd phase of the Hunter Exam.

.

Two small forms dashed through the forest. One clad was in bright green garments, his boots padding softly against the forest floor. Spiky, black hair brushed against the wind as he ran. Besides him was a slimmer boy, his clothing more subdued and his hair bouncing with white locks. Their footsteps pattered against the ground as they breathed in the heavy mist.

"Neh, Killua," Gon started, his brown eyes furrowing in worry, "I'm a bit worried about Leorio, Kurapika, and Sen."

Bright blue eyes blinked up at concerned brown ones. Killua snorted, "It's fine. Those three knew should know how to handle things themselves."

The dark haired boy frowned, his lips forming a small pout, "But what about Sen?"

"Haah? What about that girl?" Killua muttered nonchalantly, his hand scratching the side of his head, mussing his silver tresses.

"I don't think she was running with all of us when Satotz-san started walking again," Gon said, his wide eyes shifting back behind him, hoping he would see the dark haired girl suddenly pop up through the fog.

"Che, she's probably with that blue haired guy," the white haired boy sniffed as he hefted the skateboard in his hands, "I really doubt he'll run again though. That idiot looked like he already gave up when the gate started to close."

"No he didn't!" Gon argued, his bright eyes staring into quiet blue ones, "He was still trying to move! He wanted to pass!"

Killua turned away from the spiky haired boy, a frown marring his cherub face, "Yeah. Which was why you should have pushed him back in instead of tugging him out."

"Eh?"

A thin brow twitched down at the green boy, "His body couldn't take the run anymore. What makes you think he'll be better off outside where a bunch of monsters could eat him when he could've been safe inside the tunnels?"

Killua stared up at the sky as his hands rested behind his head, taking in a deep breath of the damp air, "It would've been better off for him to live and take the exam next year."

Gon went silent for a while, contemplating what his friend said. His dark brows scrunched up in thought before suddenly shaking his head. He turned toward the azure eyed boy, his own brown eyes burning fiercely.

"I don't think you're right, Killua."

Killua blinked as he tilted his head toward the spiky haired boy, the ends of his lips turning down slightly. What did he mean he was wrong? He was never wrong. Sapphire eyes gazed into topaz ones, staring challengingly at each other.

"I think that guy would've rather die out here than stay in the tunnels and lived," Gon said, his voice low and steady.

Killua just hummed in thought as the two ran, deciding to at least think about what the spiky haired boy said. He opened his mouth, about to say something before both boys were suddenly engulf by a giant frog.

"_What the-!?_"

.

Leorio huffed as he quickly ran through the forest as his fingers twitched, splinters irritating the soft skin. He couldn't believe it. What a crazy place this all was! First that weird monkey tried to trick the entire group and now some strawberry dinosaur tried to eat him and Kurapika! His dark eyes glanced over to the blonde, his breaths also staggering as they ran, sweat dripping down his face in the humid air.

He just sighed, wanting to just get this stupid run all done with. He knew the exam was hard, but no one told him it would be so ridiculous. He suddenly stopped, something bright suddenly flashing through the thick fog. The tall man huffed, peering warily through the mist as he held out a hand to slow down his blonde friend.

"What is it, Leorio?" Kurapika gasped, his dark eyes searching through the mist. Leorio squinted, his eyes widening as a stark figure appeared through the clearing fog.

"I-It's Hisoka!"

There, standing casually in the clearing, was the pink haired magician. The rugged man was surrounded by several people, huge men dressed in a similar blue garb. Each were smirking down at the obviously outnumbered man, their hands playing with their selected weapons. One held up a sword, smirking as his friend behind him twisted a thick club between his hands. Another man grinned as he hefted a rake on his shoulder, the sharp ends glinting dangerously in the noon light.

Pale lips turned downward as Hisoka merely stared back up into the sky, his normally bright eyes replaced with a dull coating, as if thick plaster was glazed over his golden eyes.

"We've got you now, Hisoka!" one of them cried, the scar on his face hinting him to be the leader. He clenched his metal rod, the heavy lead slamming against the ground as he ordered his partners to attack.

_"GRAAH!"_

The gruff man laughed loudly, a sneer scrunching his large face, "Go! The bastard should have never entered the Hunter Exams in the first place!"

Yellow eyes skimmed around each person, its usual amused glint gone, merely glancing at the charging males. The men yelled and screamed as they closed in on the redhead, baring their blunt weapons.

"Hn."

Bright light flashed across the area, loud thumps echoing in the distance. Leorio squinted through his tinted glasses as the light faded, before suddenly gawking at the sight before him. Blood spurted out into the air, the dark red gushing across the green grass. Each men had been sliced cleanly through, their guts spilling out their midsection. Kurapika cringed, swiftly turning away from the scene. Leorio coughed besides the blonde, holding up a hand to his mouth, gagging at the smell. Suddenly, cold, golden eyes slanted their way.

_Shit!_

Leorio cursed inwardly at their predicament. Sweat poured down his face as he felt something heavy fall over him, like a dense cloud of lead hovering over his bare shoulders. He took in a deep breath, grinding his teeth as he forced himself to stay still, his eyes locked on the red haired murderer.

Kurapika tensed, a foot sliding back behind him as he nudged at his tall friend, calculations spinning wildly in through his mind. His eyes hardened.

"On my signal, we run in different directions," the blonde whispered, his voice low and quiet. Leorio could only give a small nod, not daring to remove his gaze on Hisoka.

The man smiled eerily at the two, "Oh~? Unexpected guests?"

Leorio gulped, his throat dry like a desert, despite the humid fog hanging in the air. His breath hitched as Hisoka flicked out a card, the small sheet dangling idly between his clawed fingers.

"NOW!"

Like a speeding bullet, both males dashed away from the clearing. The tall grass thrashed around roughly as they sped through the marsh, leaving a chuckling magician behind to toy with his card. _How interesting~._

Muddied shoes stomped harshly against the ground as Leorio gasped through the thick air, the smell of blood permeating through the mist. Those people. Murdered in plain sight right before him. His sharp brows knitted tightly as irritation spread through his being. It felt sticky, like spiderwebs twisting along under his skin.

They just died. Killed in cold blood.

His jaw clenched as the dark red splashed across his eyes like an old movie, repeating itself over and over.

And he let it happen.

Too scared to move.

Too scared to think.

Too scared to do anything but run away.

He stopped suddenly, his chest heaving up and down as sweat dripped down his black hair, the salty drops disappearing into the thick grass. Just what sort of idiot was he? Him. Leorio. An idiot with a dream on becoming a doctor to save lives. He let out a dry chuckle, fury slowly burning through the webs of irritation prickling his skin.

Him saving lives? He couldn't even prevent the deaths of some random strangers!

"GRAAH!" he let out a strangled yell before grabbing at a thick branch, his fingers cutting into the wood. His large hands tightened around the bark as he pulled, the branch cracking into splinters as he ripped off the limb from the trunk of the tree.

"_To__ hell with this!_"

The tall man marched off, his long legs swiftly carrying back to the clearing. His dark eyes burned, glaring hotly as it met amused yellow ones.

"Oh? I love that facial expression you have on there~" a deep voice chuckled.

The magician flicked his card away, his pale fingers crackling along his hand.

.

Irevin and Sen plowed through the trees, the small girl guiding the two safely across the swamp. She bit her lip, pulling the larger man with her, their hands still tightly entwined. The dark haired girl paused slightly, her almond eyes peering through the dark mist before suddenly swerving them off to the left.

"Not that way," she muttered, tugging the blue haired man along with her. He simply nodded his head, allowing the girl to take him where ever she wants. Their footsteps rustled through the thick grass, slumps of mud sticking onto their soles. His purple eyes looked down at the small girl, her own eyes burning brightly, steadfast and strong. It intrigued him.

"How do you know where to go?" a soft voice asked in curious tone. The two were most likely way behind, making it nearly impossible way to locate the lavender haired examiner at this point in time. Purple eyes blinked, suddenly realizing something. Not only had Sen strode confidently through the marsh, but the two had not even once encountered the creatures said to target humans and eat them. Their walk had been peaceful, if a bit rushed.

Black boots slowed for a bit, before quickly resuming its fast pace. She smiled up awkwardly at him, "I...used to do this sort of thing before?"

The tall man chuckled, "Is that a question or a statement?"

Sen laughed, her free hand rubbing the side of her head. "Well, I used to go deep into forests and such when I was little. They were kinda dangerous, so I eventually figured out the warning signs that could lead to trouble."

The small girl cocked her head, her voice slightly mystified, "Though I've never seen animals like these before."

In truth, Sen did go into forests and other uninhabited areas when she was younger. When she was in _Pokemon_. She had fought against many of the poke-creatures. From the ones she caught and observed, she studied their habits and nature. Eventually she discovered a small trick to avoiding them in the tall grass and bubbling waters. All she had to do was focus on the surroundings. A cracked branch. A fading trail. Some dropped berries. Everything was a sign of something. Some can be ignored, while others screamed of danger.

Though the mist hampered her senses, the small girl stomped her boots a bit more harshly than usual, feeling the vibrations of the earth. Allowing her to avoid the hidden pitfalls and traps she couldn't see in the thick fog. It still unnerved her, her ability to earthbend and use chakra. However, after going through a bit of the exam, she couldn't help but feel a bit more grateful for them.

.

_"Sasha, am I weird?" Sen asked suddenly as the two dug through this one dumpster that was heavy with flies. It was a humid summer night, the skies clear and blinking with bright starlight._

_"Hm? What're you talking about, Sen-chan?" the old lady cackled, a wrinkled hand tearing through a plastic bag, revealing some decently rotted fruit, "Ooh this is nice."_

_"Like, about me making holes and doing the heal-y thing with my hands," the girl mumbled, wiggling her thin fingers. What she really wanted to know, was whether the Story she was in actually had people do things such as earthbending and chakra-manipulating. The man with the pointed glasses she met before most likely had inhuman strength. Perhaps the connections between his abilities and hers were the same?_

_Sasha paused for a bit, taking a large sniff before looking back at the thin girl, "Well, t'be honest, I've not seen many people doing what you did, Sen-chan." The old lady chuckled slightly, her bulging eyes glinting in humor, "In fact, I think you've been near good the only person who had ever done such things."_

_Slim fingers scratched at dirtied, black hair, contemplating the older woman's words, "So...do you think I should hide it? My abilities, I mean. Like, would I suddenly get hunted down by the government or something if I show it to people?"_

Crunch.

_The old woman bit down deeply on a rotting apple, juice dribbling down her chin. One side of the fruit was apparently still very crunchy and fresh. Truly a great find._

_ "Now hold on, dearie. I've only said that you were the only person who had ever done such _things_," her voice wheezed, the apple soon entirely ingested, core and all. _

_Sen looked back at her, a confused gaze in her eyes, "You mean, there are people who could do what I could do? But only one of the things at a ti-hmph!?"_

_Sasha shook her head, grabbing a half rotting peach and stuffing it into the skinny girl's mouth, "Eat already, why don't you? I've made such a great find and you're just there talking your mouth off."_

_The dark haired girl gagged, the bitter taste of black peach meat encasing her tongue. She was talking her mouth off on purpose!_

_"There are people who have shown unusual abilities like you, Sen-chan," the old lady continued, ignoring the fact that the girl was going blue in the face, "The only difference being, they only showed one ability with a certain theme, whereas you seem to have two types."_

_Sen quickly pulled out the dead fruit, scraping her tongue against her teeth to get rid of the barf-inducing taste before swiftly nibbling on the edges as blank eyes glared down at hers. "You have there an ability that heals the body, and another that manipulates the rocks. Totally unrelated those two be, Sen-chan. Like marbles and fishcakes." _

_The old woman sighed, her gray hair falling in front of her face as she picked up a pear, or at least something that looked to be a pear, "If you want my opinion, I say just go use da darn things. As long as you kill no one, I don't think people will question you all that much."_

_"Really?" Sen tilted her head, scratching at her face. She was still uncertain however, perhaps it was best to use her abilities only in emergencies._

_"Hm, well I suppose yer rock ability there might raise a few too many questions," Sasha muttered as she ate through the fruit, "Though I think people would be plenty grateful for ya healing ability there, dearie."_

_Sen hummed, sitting on the edge of the dumpster, her thin legs kicking absently into the air, "So what sorta people have abilities like I do?"_

_"Hunters, usually," mumbled the old lady, grinning as her white eyes noticed how still the girl got. Sen gulped.  
_

Oh no...

_A withered hand suddenly latched onto the girl before she could even jump off of the dumpster, its grip unusually strong. Sen shivered as Sasha smiled up at the small girl, showing her rotting and missing teeth, "Now, tell me again, Sen-chan. Just how _did _you fail the Exam before it even started?"_

_Sen gritted her teeth as a feeling of foreboding fell over her._

CURSE YOU, TONPAA!

.

The dark haired girl ran along with the blue haired man when a sudden scream fell through the air.

"GRAAH!"

Sen quickly looked up, recognizing that scratchy voice, "Leorio..."

Her right hand suddenly fell empty. Looking up she saw Irevin pulling back his large hand, his lavender eyes looked down at her softly, "Go. You'll be faster without having to drag me along."

Sen was about to argue when she was suddenly pushed forward.

"_GO._"

The girl looked up appreciatively at the man, smiling in thanks before quickly dashing through the mist, her voice yelling back to the man behind her, "Stay alive, Irevin! I'll come back for you soon!"

The man waved at the girl, her dark form soon engulfed by the thick fog. He stood still for a while, his purple eyes suddenly glazing over.

Certain she was gone, his body plummeted to the ground, crashing harshly onto the grass. Groaning, Irevin hugged his trembling body as pain burst forth in his mind, his brain finally recognizing the agony of his burning muscles. Sweat beaded along his forehead as he clenched his teeth, refusing to let out another sound. Though the presence of the dark haired girl allowed him to keep on running, his body was already tipping past its limit. No, he had already severely went over his limit three times over and more.

He breathed in deeply, his limp body shivering on the damp ground, yet his eyes were now blazing, a steaming fire burning once again in his lavender orbs as he regained control over his pain._ I can't look like this when Sen gets back._

.

The dark haired girl huffed, her boots crashing onto the forest floor. Where'd he go? Where was Leorio? There was no way that was a mimicked voice. Searching desperately through the mist, the young girl finally spotted the lanky man. He was hunched over on the ground, a thick branch clasped between his hands. It wasn't until a familiar pink form suddenly hovered over the bare chested man that Sen gasped and unconsciously reacted.

"Leorio!"

.

The orange haired magician was amused. The man below him had a startling potential, despite his appearance. The jester shook out a pale hand, sharp, long nails acting as claws.

It should be fine to test him a _little_ further, right?

Bloodlust and boredom mixing into his system, Hisoka grinned broadly, swiping down at the young man on the ground.

_PLOCK!_

Yellow eyes widened as Hisoka felt his head forcefully turned to the side as something blunt hit him on the side of his face. He frowned.

A rock?

Sliding his golden eyes over, a wide smile soon quirked up on the pale man's face. _Oh?_

"Leorio!" the girl shouted. She looked frantically down at the man, an arm left outstretched in the air. The man gave no response, his blank eyes blinking blindly at the ground. Sen was about to run over to the man when she felt something heavy fall over her. Her breath hitched as she felt a dark voice suddenly whisper into her ear.

"Throwing rocks at people? How crude."

Sen quickly swiped behind her, her arm hitting something solid before it poofed up into colored smoke. Dark eyes blinked wildly. _Shadow clone!?_

"Then again, _were_ you throwing that rock?"

A thin arm swung once more, again colliding with a puff of smoke. Sen gasped, sweat suddenly trickling down her face as blood pounded heavily in her ears. Just what was that? That was a shadow clone, right? Dark eyes swerved back and forth across the clearing. She struggled to breathe, something thicker than the mist was engulfing her small body. A painted face suddenly appeared in front of her, grinning at her at just inches from her face.

"Yo."

Shocked, a strangled yell escaped her throat when Leorio suddenly got back up from the ground. Waving his huge branch like a baseball bat, he swung down at the pink haired magician, "Your fight is with me, you pink bastar-_gcck!_"

Hisoka just hummed as he flashed over quickly to the stumbling man, taking a swift jab toward the young man's bare stomach, quickly knocking him out.

"Leorio!" Sen cried. His large body suddenly limped over on the ground, all consciousness fading away from the man, "Le-Leorio!"

The girl choked at his fallen form, her limbs freezing in place as recurring memories flashed before her eyes once more. She couldn't breathe, her chest suddenly tightening painfully. _No._

_The gaping mouth._ Sen clasped her ears, squeezing her eyes shut as she will the images away.

_The blank eyes._ Her jaw clenched, blood rushing through her veins as her breathes turned shallow. She grunted, her heart throbbing against her chest. _It isn't-_.

_The fallen body._ Her eyes started to blur, blinking blindly through the sudden tears. The man inched closer toward her, an amused glint shining in his eyes._It's not-!_

_The still form._

Red suddenly filled her vision. Images of those long past mixing in with the present, dark eyes soon glaring blankly at the redhead.

_The same.  
_

"Don't worry, little girl," Hisoka chuckled, slowly striding on by to the shocked girl, disrupting her spiraling train of thoughts, "He's still-_O__h_?"

Before him stood Sen, previously a skinny, little girl with messy, black hair. Her dark eyes were now burning furiously at golden ones, a deadly snarl twisted on her cherub face. Her small teeth were bared at the grinning magician, her small fangs rapidly growing to a sharp point. The ground cracked below her, the brown earth splitting and breaking as the floor reverberated in heated anger. Bits of stone lifted into the air, hovering in the mist. The girl raised a hand towards Hisoka, and suddenly flicked her fingers.

The red haired magician leisurely dodged a deftly aimed stone, stepping off from side to side as dozens more pelted towards him. Pale lips quickly curved into a smile, the ends of his mouth stretching from ear to ear. He let out a laugh, his deep voice echoing through the heavy mist as his golden eyes greedily took in the sight before him, "So this is your ability."

Sen quickly charged towards him, raking a thin hand through the air. Hisoka chuckled as he jumped away, a stab of earth shooting up from the ground where he once stood. His eyes grew wide as the girl suddenly appeared before him, her molten eyes inches away from his face, blank and bleeding with fury. The magician took a deep breath as he felt his heart thump loudly in his chest, a mad smile twisting his lips. _Oh, what a truly wonderful find._

He dodged with ease as she swiped a fist at him, not missing a beat as he avoided a fast kick aimed at his midsection. He licked his lips, blood curdling within his veins as he felt the thick anger rolling off the girl, pressing up against him.

_Oh~!_

Lust quickly filled his system, making him lose touch with whatever restraint he normally had. He jabbed a clawed hand at the girl, unintentionally using his full force. Sen choked, blood spurting out her mouth as she suddenly limped over, the world spotting into black dots. Hisoka gasped, his vision clearing back up as he quickly retracted his hand, sending the girl sprawling down on the floor.

Gold eyes stared on blankly at the fallen form, a pale hand grasping emptily in the air. He didn't kill her, did he? He stared on apprehensively before letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The girl coughed into the grass, surprisingly holding on to her consciousness.

Sen gasped, the tangy taste of blood filling her mouth as pain bloomed in her stomach. Cringing in agony, her dark eyes blinked rapidly as her vision cleared, the shaded red fading away from her eyes. What happened? Sen forced herself to recall, her muscles burning as she desperately tried to hold on to her consciousness, the pain tearing out any comprehensive thoughts from her mind.

What happened?

The grass suddenly shuffled in front of the girl, grabbing her attention. Turning, teary, black eyes soon stared up into shining golden ones.

**[-Click-]**

Sen could only gaze up questioningly at the sound before fainting, her consciousness slipping through her mental grasp as the pain suddenly colored her vision black.

* * *

~0~o~0~

* * *

A/N: Whoo! Finally done, yeahh! It's so long. And wordy. And long. And-.

Lol, never again, ever. OTL

But yeah! A buncha things happened in this chap! ^ w^

We got a new character there, lil' softie Irevin. Don't ask me where he came from, he popped up as randomly as Sasha did. His name makes sense, right? It fits well enough in the hxh world, right? T wT

Anyways, on another topic, we also had Sen fight against Hisoka! xD Though it seems something was off about the girl as she fought. She had her bit of rage we saw before, back with Sasha. Though for some reason it seems more pronounced here, guess Leorio just has that sorta effect on people, neh? There was also that weird Clicking thing, who knows what in the world that was, right? Lolol-.

...wait, wasn't Gon suppose to be up against Hisoka instead in this scene? O.o

Actually, on another note, Irevin wasn't suppose to have passed the through the tunnels either.

Hm. o _o

Ah well, you guys can give your theories about it all as I give out this here bit of info.

Info that may or may not be interesting to you:

There was only one time where Sen had purposefully killed the main character of a Story.

.


End file.
